Feature

JU student discover pre-historic archaeological signs in Chittagong

Mohammad Hasanul Banna

MD. Shahinujjaman Shahin, a Master's student of Archaeology Department, Jahangirnagar University (JU) made a successive turn on the research of pre-historic archaeology, discovering some symbols of pre-historic civilization at a field research in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) supervised by renowned archaeologist Dr Mujammel Haque, professor of Archaeology Department, JU.

Shahin conducted the research titled “Human's Culture of Pre-historic Era of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Areas.” The research places included Shitakunda, Bashbari, Ghagra market, Gulsakhali, Adarkasra under Langudu Thana of Rangamati and Manikchari of Khagrachari.

Prof Haque, the research supervisor, said certain research work has confirmed human existence in Neolithic age (3500-4000 B.C.) across Chittagong region.

After a research and field work, Shahin discovered a new prospect of research disclosing some pictograms used by humans of pre-historic era including various stones and tools like axe, scraper, side-scraper, convex-scraper, concave-scraper and chisel.

Prof Haque claimed that this invention would play an important role in the archaeological history of Bangladesh adding a new line to researchers on the research of pre-historical archaeology.

Sahin said, " I started off my research out of curiosity and nothing else while I was surveying landscapes, sewerage systems, food sources and raw materials of various equipments which were discovered in those areas. These areas were well habitable for humans.

It is learnt that equipments from the pre-historic era were found in 1978 at Shitakunda of Chittagong but no further research was conducted prior to this work.

Conducting research and field works need huge funds. Shahin urged the government in providing sufficient funds as students can run successful and extensive research in this field.

(The writer is in the 4th year, Department of public Administration, Jahangirnagar University)