A vast underwater city off India’s western coast is once again fueling debate about a possible lost civilization. Discovered more than two decades ago, the formation has been described by some as a large ancient city, while others remain unconvinced.
The site, located about 36 meters underwater off India’s western coast, was identified in December 2000 by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) during routine pollution surveys. Sonar scans revealed geometric patterns that appear to resemble man-made structures.
If confirmed as human-made, the site could reshape what is known about civilizations that predate the Indus Valley Civilization, also known as the Harappan Civilization. Researchers note, though, that the underwater environment makes interpretation especially challenging.
Sonar Detects Perfect Shapes Deep Underground
The sonar data revealed formations stretching roughly 8 km in length and 3 km in width, with shapes interpreted as grid-like layouts and large rectangular structures. According to 2002 BBC News report, debris recovered from the site included pottery, beads, sculptures, sections of walls, and human remains.
A central point in the debate is a piece of wood that was carbon dated to around 9,500 years. Some researchers rely on this finding to argue for a much earlier occupation of the site than previously documented civilizations.
Geologist Badrinaryan Badrinaryan, part of the NIOT team, suggested the evidence points to an advanced culture that existed at the end of the last Ice Age and may have been submerged by rising sea levels.
“For decades archaeologists have argued about the origins of the mysterious ‘Harappan’ (Indus Valley) civilisation that flourished across what is now Pakistan and northwest India from about 3000 BC.”
And as indicated in Futura-Sciences, researchers pointed to long, straight alignments stretching across several kilometers. Some interpreted them as streets or building foundations. The depth of the lost city and heavy sediment make it hard to confirm these observations visually.
“The [oceanographers] found that they were dealing with two large blocks of apparently man made structures,” explained Graham Hancock, British journalist and author, best known for his pseudoscientific theories that challenge mainstream archaeology.
Mysterious Artifacts Stir Ongoing Debate
Even with these claims, plenty of experts aren’t convinced. As mentioned in Frontline, researcher Iravatham Mahadevan admitted that some of the shapes seen in sonar images are hard to explain as purely natural.
He also noted that artifacts recovered from the underwater city may have been displaced by strong tidal currents, complicating efforts to determine their origin. In this region, shifting sands can further alter both the position and appearance of objects.
Asko Parpola from the University of Helsinki also raised doubts about the dating. He questioned:
“Can radio carbon dating (that is used in this case) and thermoluminescence (that is to be used for pottery found at the site) give reliable dating for ancient periods?” He added : “I have seen some interesting materials that seem to occur only in this place; not in the surrounding areas. But the problem with this site is that there is very heavy tidal influence and the sands are shifting all the time. So when we find flat objects here it seems to me perfectly possible that this flattening is done by sand activity – erosion by the sand.”
Experts Cast Doubt on the Results
Efforts to study the underwater city in greater detail have been hindered by challenging conditions. The lack of clearly identifiable structures in place, such as intact walls or inscriptions in place, many experts hesitate to describe the site as a lost city. As Justin Morris, quoted by Indy100, stated:
“Culturally speaking, in that part of the world there were no civilisations prior to about 2,500 BC. What’s happening before then mainly consisted of small, village settlements.”
The mystery is still unsolved, with intriguing clues on one side and ongoing doubts on the other, as researchers keep exploring what lies beneath the Arabian Sea.
“We have to find out what happened then … where and how this civilisation vanished,” stated, Murli Manohar Joshi, the Indian Minister for Human Resources and Ocean Development.
Enjoyed this article? Subscribe to our free newsletter for engaging stories, exclusive content, and the latest news.
