The Mizoram chapter of the Indian Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) announced the discovery of human skeletal remains, including nine skulls and femurs, in a cave in the Thingkhuang forest area near North Khawlek village, Saitual district, close to the Manipur border. Carbon-14 dating conducted in a U.S. laboratory confirmed the bones date back to 1260–1320 CE, making them over 700 years old and the oldest skeletal remains ever found in Mizoram. This finding, which includes ancient artifacts like a dao, knife, and broken pottery, could significantly reshape the historical narrative of the Mizo people.

The discovery was made on January 11, 2025, by a local hunter who alerted community leaders, prompting INTACH to collaborate with the state’s Art and Culture Department. Archaeologist Vanlalhuma Singson, who examined the site on May 2, noted that the elevated cave, situated 1,228 meters above sea level in a hard-to-access gorge, preserved the remains remarkably. The age of the skeletons, predating the previously oldest known remains from Vangchhia (1485 CE) by about 200 years, challenges the conventional belief that Mizo people migrated to Mizoram around 1700 CE.

INTACH Convenor Rin Sanga, a retired IAS officer, emphasized the need for further research, including DNA sequencing, to determine the origins and lineage of the skeletal remains. This discovery, approximately 400 years older than the commonly accepted timeline of Mizo settlement, necessitates a re-examination of Mizo history. With support from the state government and experts, the findings promise to deepen understanding of the region’s cultural and historical roots, potentially redefining the ancestry of the Mizo people.

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