Archaeologists have discovered rare remains of the Indian one-horned rhinoceros at the Neolithic site of Molapalayam in Tamil Nadu, far south of the species’ present habitat.
The rhino bone fragments, dated to around 1600–1400 BCE, are exceptional as Rhinoceros unicornis is today confined mainly to Assam, eastern India, and Nepal, and is almost absent from South Indian archaeological records.
The find suggests either a much wider prehistoric distribution of the species or long-distance exchange networks through which animal remains or products moved across regions in ancient India.
Overall, the discovery offers new insights into prehistoric ecology, human mobility, and inter-regional interactions during the Neolithic period.
APSC Relevance:
Ancient India, archaeology, prehistoric trade and ecology.
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