Researchers examining Bandhavgarh National Park in Madhya Pradesh have uncovered artificial reservoirs and several other artifacts that date back around two millennia. The discovery has been documented by the Archaeological Survey of India, underscoring the park’s long history of human activity beyond its reputation as a modern wildlife sanctuary.
Recent fieldwork among the Bandhavgarh landscape has shed new light on its early history. In 2022, archaeologists identified the area, which today enjoys status as a tiger reserve, as a site occupied between the 2nd and 5th centuries BCE. They also unearthed roughly 26 Buddhist caves that date to the 6th century BCE, revealing a once-thriving spiritual and cultural presence in the region. Historical records note that the same terrain has long hosted wildlife milestones, including the first white tiger sightings attributed to the area, highlighting a intertwined legacy of natural and human history.
A fresh study conducted in the Tala Range documents the discovery of 11 rock-cut caves used as sheltering spaces by traders navigating ancient routes. Among these shelters, researchers found a painting attributed to the Golden Age, and archaeologists interpret the artwork as depicting a living creature. The discovery adds a vivid visual dimension to the tale of trade and exchange that once moved through this corridor.
Several man-made reservoirs revealed by researchers are estimated to be 1800 to 2000 years old. Evidence indicates that some of these water-holding structures underwent renovations approximately a thousand years ago, likely to improve rainwater collection for communities and travelers relying on reliable water sources in a variable climate.
Taken together, the new findings suggest that Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve formed part of an ancient trade corridor where caravans and merchants paused in rock caves along their journeys. The combination of man-made water systems, shelter caves, and art from earlier eras points to a landscape shaped by commerce, mobility, and spiritual life, long before the reserve became a focal point for wildlife conservation. These revelations enrich the understanding of Bandhavgarh as a crossroads where nature and human history intersect in compelling ways.