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One Million-Years-Old (Human) Footprints Found At Margalla Hills (Pakistan)
Dawn ^ | 7-27-2007 | Sher Baz Khan

Posted on 07/28/2007 6:00:30 PM PDT by blam

1m-years-old footprints found at Margalla Hills

By Sher Baz Khan

ISLAMABAD, July 27: In what appears to be a major discovery, archaeologists have found two over one million years old human footprints preserved on a sandstone at the Margalla Hills.

The Indusians Research Cell, which is working under the supervision of world renowned archaeologist and historian Dr Ahmad Hassan Dani of Taxila Institute of Asian Civilisations, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, has made the discovery, which is likely to add a new chapter to the archaeological history and heritage of the federal capital and attract visitors.

A footprint of 1 feet is in complete and well preserved form while another is broken from the finger side which is also of the same size in comparative manner. The notable marks of the feet are the clear veins and opposite folded appearance.

“A huge stone on the top of the hill is the secure home of these prints since about over one million years ago,” says A.K. Azad, an archaeologist and head of the project.

Further research may give more clues of the foot marks through anthropological and geophysical methods, he observed.

The recent discovery is the continuity of the Indusian Research Cell’s earlier research about human evolution which previously revealed a fossilised upper jaw from the site of Dhudhumber, foot and hand prints from Attock and Palaeolithic cave from Margalla hills.

Pakistan’s geomorphologic research was conducted to compare with the Alps of Europe during the period of 1930-1939 by a French mission. Since then, lots of other dimensions of the research opened the doors of scientific research in Pakistan as the country provided the glacial sequence, fossilised evidences of Pre-Cambrian to Holocene epochs, earliest evidences of the anthropoid existence, earliest cultural centre at Mehargarh (contemporary of Jericho and Jarmo) and most advanced civilisation of the world (Indus valley).

Indusians Research Cell started the second phase of the project “Post-earthquake Explorations of Human Remains in Margalla Hills” under the supervision of A.K. Azad.

According to Mr Azad the formation of the Margalla Hills goes back to the Miocene epoch. The dominant limestone of the Margalla is also mixed with the sand stone.

“So we can assume that due to availability of the water in ancient times many marks of the zoological as well botanical significance may lead to our objectives,” the young archaeologist hopes.

In 1976, Pakistan opened another chapter of human evolution, which makes case for Asian anthropoid origin from this region.

During the ‘60s and ‘70s, Pilbeam led expeditions to the Siwalik Hills badlands of northern Pakistan, searching for further Ramapithecine remains.

In March 1975 and January 1976 team members made surface recoveries of four bone fragments which fit together to form the most complete mandible recovered yet. The mandible shows that Ramapithecus did not have a parabolic, human like dental arcade, as originally thought, but rather a V-shaped, more apelike arcade. Though the shape of the arcade is not now regarded as one of the more anatomically important characters, Ramapithecus is no longer granted the high status that it once received.

Different scholars have defined the word ‘Potohar’ differently. But, anthropological research marked it, as the grand father of hominid, also known as Punjabicus found from the Potohar region.

So the government of Pakistan had given the name to this specie Potoharmans.

According to Mr Azad, the problem of human evolution is still hanging around that when and where Anthropoid got physical changes from the Apes?

After India, Kenya and China, he says important discovery was from the Potohar region from fossils of the similar species found in 1976 and 1982. The probable dating given to this specie was 20 million years.

“It has provided a missing link, which was spread of 6 million years. So Potoharmans declared as the grand father of hominid, which evolved from the different stages and reached at the Homo sapiens,” he observes.

The stories behind the similar marks are also significant in mythical associations with saints and renowned people i.e. hand prints of the Baba Guru Nanik near Hassanabdal, foot prints of Hazrat Ali in Hyderabad, foot prints of the Guru Padma Sambhava (Second reincarnation of Buddha) in Swat, Adam’s peak of Sri Lanka etc.

“If these are true than we can also claim of the mother Eve’s foot prints from Margalla Hills,” Mr Azad observed.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: archaeology; china; dmanisi; footprints; godsgravesglyphs; homoerectus; homoerectusgeorgicus; human; india; kenya; million; origin; origins; paleontology; republicofgeorgia; tr; trackway; trackways
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A search of Potoharmans on google produced two hits linked below:

Emergence Of Man

New dimensions of ancient heritage explored in Soan valley

1 posted on 07/28/2007 6:00:32 PM PDT by blam
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To: SunkenCiv

GGG Ping.


2 posted on 07/28/2007 6:00:53 PM PDT by blam (Secure the border and enforce the law)
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To: blam

Can’t be a million years old. The earth is only 4000 years old.....


3 posted on 07/28/2007 6:04:29 PM PDT by narby
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To: blam
I think I'll wait for more evidence on this one.

(Whenever I see "Potoharmans" I always think its a poor translation of "Protohumans!")

4 posted on 07/28/2007 6:06:54 PM PDT by Coyoteman (Religious belief does not constitute scientific evidence, nor does it convey scientific knowledge.)
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To: narby
The earth is only 4000 years old.....

The earth was formed in 2000 BC?

5 posted on 07/28/2007 6:12:36 PM PDT by Mr. Mojo (There are four types of homicide: felonious, accidental, justifiable, and praiseworthy)
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To: Coyoteman

The scientists are not speculating as to what “kind” of human made the prints. We can probably say that we “know” they were not Potoharmans footprints. It seems like the scientists are suggesting that the prints are those of homo sapiens from a million years ago.

Waiting for more evidence is right.


6 posted on 07/28/2007 6:17:35 PM PDT by Unknowing (Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country.)
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To: narby
Can’t be a million years old. The earth is only 4000 years old.....

Now you've done it. Some freepers will be condemning you to hell and/or alternatively praying for your misbegotten soul.

7 posted on 07/28/2007 6:23:06 PM PDT by Maynerd (Bush is trying to sell a "War on Terror" against a "Religion of Peace." Confusing isn't it?)
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To: Unknowing
It seems like the scientists are suggesting that the prints are those of homo sapiens from a million years ago.

If true that is very big news and pushes back homo sapien existence about 850,000 years.

I agree with you, the article is unclear whether this represents a proto homined or a true homo sapien. And frankly without DNA or significant fossils, I don't know how they can be highly confident based merely on footprint evidence.

8 posted on 07/28/2007 6:27:08 PM PDT by Maynerd (Bush is trying to sell a "War on Terror" against a "Religion of Peace." Confusing isn't it?)
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To: Unknowing

But these ancient humans were Muslims!

All humans are born Muslim, until they are misled!

You must accept that, or we will kill you!

;^)


9 posted on 07/28/2007 6:27:41 PM PDT by elcid1970
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To: Mr. Mojo
Adam woke up out of the dust on the Vernal Equinox in 4000 BC.

Dating "in the beginning" is a little more difficult. See "Genesis and the Big Bang".

I believe it is all true exactly as written. For the present, God has told us what we need to know. Eventually, He will tell us the rest of the story.

10 posted on 07/28/2007 6:29:01 PM PDT by David (...)
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To: Coyoteman
"I think I'll wait for more evidence on this one."

Yup, me too.

11 posted on 07/28/2007 6:35:57 PM PDT by blam (Secure the border and enforce the law)
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To: David

“””For the present, God has told us what we need to know”””

The ‘written’ word may well be sincere, but how accurate?

We can accept the premise, but not necessarily the math - IMHO


12 posted on 07/28/2007 6:36:19 PM PDT by sodpoodle ( Despair - man's surrender. Laughter - God's redemption)
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To: narby

I thought it was 9,700 years old.


13 posted on 07/28/2007 6:38:56 PM PDT by buffyt (Passing the Amnesty Bill to Protect American Borders & make us safer is like "F*#@ing for Chastity!")
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To: ontap
Re: One Million-Years-Old (Human) Footprints Found At Margalla Hills (Pakistan)

Oh crap, old cuz... here we go again!

14 posted on 07/28/2007 6:39:13 PM PDT by Bender2 (A 'Good Yankee' comes down to Texas, then goes back north. A 'Damn Yankee' stays... Damn it!)
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To: Maynerd
Stranger In A New Land

Image: JOHN GURCHE PORTRAIT OF A PIONEER With a brain half the size of a modern one and a brow reminiscent of Homo habilis, this hominid is one of the most primitive members of our genus on record. Paleoartist John Gurche reconstructed this 1.75-million-year-old explorer from a nearly complete teenage H. erectus skull and associated mandible found in Dmanisi in the Republic of Georgia. The background figures derive from two partial crania recovered at the site.

The archaeologist who excavated the 'Hobbits' compared them to the above people found in Dmanisi.

15 posted on 07/28/2007 6:40:22 PM PDT by blam (Secure the border and enforce the law)
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To: David

Well, it is either Creation OR Evolution. Can’t be BOTH. And I do not believe in evolution or Big Bang. To believe that you must believe that a hurricane or tornado goes through a junk yard and a 747 jet is formed by the tornado.


16 posted on 07/28/2007 6:40:40 PM PDT by buffyt (Passing the Amnesty Bill to Protect American Borders & make us safer is like "F*#@ing for Chastity!")
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To: blam

Bump
Very interesting report.


17 posted on 07/28/2007 6:41:15 PM PDT by Maeve (Do you have supplies for an extended emergency? Be prepared! Pray!)
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To: buffyt
And I do not believe in evolution or Big Bang. To believe that you must believe that a hurricane or tornado goes through a junk yard and a 747 jet is formed by the tornado.

Blam's threads are not the proper place to bring in the crevo debates.

18 posted on 07/28/2007 6:43:03 PM PDT by Coyoteman (Religious belief does not constitute scientific evidence, nor does it convey scientific knowledge.)
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To: blam

Doctor Dani is one unusual dude:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmad_Hasan_Dani


19 posted on 07/28/2007 6:44:59 PM PDT by Popocatapetl
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To: David
Eventually, He will tell us the rest of the story.

Paul Harvey tells me that every night.

TS
" . . . you know that little boy . . .
. . . as Tiger . . .
. . . Wood . . . "

20 posted on 07/28/2007 6:46:24 PM PDT by Tanniker Smith (I didn't know she was a Liberal when I married her.)
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