4,000-Year-Old Chariots Found in Northern India

UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA—Outlook India reports that three chariots dating to about 1800 B.C. have been unearthed in northern India, at a site made up of eight burials. “The wheels rotated on a fixed axle linked by a draft pole to the yoke of a pair of animals,” said S. K. Manjul of the Institute of Archaeology in Delhi. “The axle was attached with a superstructure consisting of a platform protected by side-screens and a high dashboard.” Copper shaped into triangles thought to represent the rays of the sun decorated the wheels and the pole. Swords with copper-covered hilts, shields, daggers, a helmet, beads, and combs were also recovered. Manjul said the coffins in the burial pits were decorated with copper-plated figures with horns and leafy crowns, suggesting those buried in them may have been royalty. The sides of the coffins were decorated with floral motifs. To read about another recent discovery in India, go to “Early Buddhism in India.”