Fossil discoveries by teachers, students put south Kashmir on scientific map

Srinagar, Jan 20: What began as field exploration by schoolteachers and students in south Kashmir has evolved into a series of scientifically verified fossil discoveries, placing parts of Anantnag and Kulgam districts on India’s emerging geo-heritage map.

Over the past five years, educators, students and young researchers have identified multiple fossil-rich sites- some dating back hundreds of millions of years prompting the Geological Survey of India (GSI), the Department of Archives, Archaeology and Museums, and the Jammu and Kashmir Forest Department to document, sample and preserve the locations.

“These sites have been scientifically examined and mapped by the Geological Survey of India,” said Abdul Qayoom Paul, Director, GSI Kashmir. “They represent important geological periods and are of high research value.”

Among the most recent discoveries are fossil sites at Halsidar and Saskhudan Kapran under the Verinag forest range in Anantnag. The sites were initially reported by Fayaz Ahmad Hajam, a postgraduate in zoology, during sustained field surveys.

“I have been scouting the area since 2022,” Hajam said. “The exposed strata show a wide fossil diversity, including ammonites, brachiopods, bivalves and plant remains.”

“GSI scientists later examined the sites and confirmed the fossils belong to the Jurassic period, dating back 150 to 200 million years, Paul said.

Two additional fossil geo-sites- Maswati-Narsinghar in the Larnoo area of Kokernag were identified directly by GSI and date to the Permian period, around 260 million years old, Paul added.

All identified sites fall within forest land and are now under protection by the JK Forest Department, Anantnag Division.

“Fencing has been completed, information boards installed, and dos and don’ts clearly displayed,” said Yasir Amin, Range Officer, Verinag.”

At Kokernag, Adnan, Range Officer, said similar conservation measures have been implemented. “The focus is on protection first.. “Directional signage has also been placed to guide visitors and prevent damage.

Any tourism will be regulated,” he said.

Officials say the surge in fossil discoveries can be traced back to August 2021, when schoolteachers Rauf Hamza and Manzoor Javaid- from Dooru and Achabal, along with students, reported a major fossil site in Aharbal, Kulgam.

The Aharbal site, believed to date between 488 and 354 million years, spans the Ordovician to Devonian periods and was notable for its size and fossil density.

“The site stood out for the quantity and diversity of fossils,” said an official associated with its assessment.

Presently, Zewan in the outskirts of Srinagar, is considered to be the oldest fossil site.

After the discovery, the Department of Archives, Archaeology and Museums collected samples, which were later sent to BARC for age verification.

Encouraged by the findings, the two teachers continued surveys, often during student field camps leading to further discoveries at Dandrain, Zajimarg in DH Pora, Nunkhul in DK Pora- Kulgam and the Achabal Wildlife Sanctuary, where trace fossils, bivalves and worm castings were also documented.

In November 2024, the teachers, accompanied by another educator, reported additional fossil specimens near Sinthan Top along the Daksum route, estimating the age at nearly 300 million years.

Following initial reports, the Department of Archives, Archaeology and Museums conducted field visits and collected fossil samples for scientific analysis.

“The department took representative samples from the sites for proper documentation and age determination,” an official said, adding that some samples were sent to national laboratories, including the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), for radiometric dating.

Geologists said that while community-led discoveries are valuable, scientific verification remains essential.

“Some samples from the Sinthan Top area had been reported earlier during geological mapping and are already preserved in a museum in Budgam,” said Mohsin Noor, senior geologist at the Department of Geology and Mining.

Despite that, geologists say south Kashmir’s fossil record is gaining attention largely due to grassroots involvement.

“These are not isolated discoveries,” a geologist said. “Teachers, students and local youth have played a key role in identifying sites, which are now being scientifically documented and preserved.”

With fencing, sampling and mapping underway, officials say the region is steadily emerging as a centre for geological research built on curiosity first sparked in classrooms and carried into the field.