Niraj Rai Profile
Niraj Rai

@NirajRai3

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Group Head, Ancient DNA Lab, Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, Govt. of India

Lucknow, India
Joined October 2011
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
2 years
Did extensive Ancient DNA sampling form Rakhigarhi excavation site.
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
2 years
This is fake.
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
2 years
Discovery of 4000 year old Horse driven Chariot with a royal warrior is indeed one of a biggest discovery of Archaeological Survey of India led by Dr. SK Manjul.
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
4 years
Massive migrations from Steppes to Bronze Age India was indeed a myth. We have gathered Ancient DNA evidence now. The findings will be out next year. Thanks to the great efforts of scientists from India, USA, UK and others. Warm Greetings for upcoming 2021!
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
1 year
We discovered hundreds of extraordinarily preserved Megalithic burials in deep forest of Dandakarnya. These birials are man made and about 3000 year old.
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
2 years
With one of the oldest human fossil remains of India. Looking forward to retrieve authentic ancient DNA out of it.
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
2 years
5000 year old copper and gold jwellary making factory discovered at Harappan city Rakhigarhi.
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
2 years
One of 10 biggest discovery of the year 2022- At Bandhavgarh, MP, The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has uncovered lost temples, Buddhist structures, 26 caves, temples, 2 monasteries, 2 votive stupas and 46 sculptures which date to the 2nd century BC to the 5th century AD.
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
2 years
Extremely upset to hear this mischievous article by @NewIndianXpress where our research being described as studying “racial purity". DNA research has great potential for improving our understanding of human health and history and should not be used to support discriminatory ideas
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
2 years
Indus valley cotton fibers discovered in Israel. It predate the oldest known cotton domestication in the Indus Valley by about two millennia. Presence of cotton at the site points to possible connections with the Indus Valley as early as 7,200 years ago.
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
4 years
Look at the Lockdown impact on pollution level. These are the satellite monitored pollutant values (PM2.5) on 30 March in 2019 and 2020. Red colors show maximum pollution (upto 1000 μg/m3) and blue colors show minimum (from 1μg/m3).
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
2 years
This guy is a tipsifactor. What kind of nonsense is he talking about.
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
5 years
Thank you so much Govt. of India for recognizing our hard work. I dedicate this achievement to all my mentors and colleagues who believes on our findings. Special thanks to @ARanganathan72 .
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
2 years
Iran was the homeland of Zorostrians/Parsi. During 7th century AD, Iran had witnessed a major demographic transition due to Islamic Conquest. Our ancient DNA data on first Parsi settlers in Gujarat suggest that Indian parsi are closer to Neolithic Iranians than to modern Iranians
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
2 years
Nearly 2000 years old samadhi burial excavated from Vadnagar, Gujarat. Samādhi burial is long-established burial practice that eventually blossoms into a full-fledged worship tradition in ancient India.
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
5 months
50 thousand year old human fossil from the Hathnora, Madhya Pradesh. Also known as Narmada Women.
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Niraj Rai
4 years
Proud moment for Indian Archaeology. Dr. B.B Lal, a living legend, conferment for Padma Vibhushan Award. India is lucky to have such great personality. Prof Lal is a precious gem of Indian archaeology who rediscovered the civilizational India buried under the colonial past.
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
5 years
Singapore was possibly ruled by the Indian Chola dynasty 1,000 years ago, Australian researcher says @mashablesea
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Niraj Rai
2 years
Evidence of horses from atleast 4000 YBP is validated. This rock painting depicts with early horse existence and harpoon (copper made deadly weapon) from trans- Yamuna, Allahabad. This depiction confirms the evidence of horses during OCP cultural phase (5000- 1700 YBP) @ijarchaeo
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
2 years
Discovery of 4000 year old Horse driven Chariot with a royal warrior is indeed one of a biggest discovery of Archaeological Survey of India led by Dr. SK Manjul.
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Niraj Rai
5 years
I don't know the how accurate is the archaeological date but as per the BHU professors this 4000-year-old Shivalinga could have been a site of worship thousands of years ago. However, more research is being done to confirm these statements.
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
5 years
Genetic makeup of Brahmins and Dalits are same. Even Muslims and Hindus have no genetic differences at all. I would keep cash prize of "1" Crore if anyone on this planet can prove that Dalits, Brahmins and Indian Muslims have any genetic/DNA differences.
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
2 years
Great grand mother of modern day South Asians. Reconstructed face of Rakhigarhi women.
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
2 years
Continuity of ancient yogi sitting in samadhi from Chalcolthic to Early Historic India.
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
3 years
Neolithic Civilization of Kashmir was extraordinary! Super excited to work on human skeletal remains excavated from Burzoham archaeological site about half centrury ago.
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
5 years
Reconstruction of Sanauli Chariot dated back to 4000 years ago.
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Niraj Rai
7 months
4500 year old copper age harpoon (confirmed with AMS dates) discovered by Shahjad Rai Research Institute glorifies the Indian history in deep past. The Copper Harpoon was sophisticated weapon of OCP culture widespread in North India since last 5000 years. Many more to come.
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Niraj Rai
5 years
Collected human skeleton remains of probably first Indians who have migrated to Bali, Java and Sumatra and spread the Hinduism. It is so fascinating to learn that our ancestors have likely come here before the Buddhism, Christianity and Islam.
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Niraj Rai
4 years
About 3000 years ago, our ancestors were poineer of astronomy. They used to arranged stones in orientation towards the Winter and Summer Solstice sunrises and sets respectively. Here they have built the entire complex in such a manner that it faces the Equinox sunrise.
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
2 years
I don't agree with you sir. British only looted and distorted our Indic knowledge and culture.
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
2 years
What about the Urbal Naxalism? How did it spread?
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
2 years
Harappan Man Says Namaste! A seated terracotta male figurine from the ancient city of Harappa, Punjab holding hands in Anjali Mudra or Namaskar mudra. About 4500-4000 years old. Source: Accession Number: 12023-365. National Museum, New Delhi.
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
5 years
Another milestone achieved. Scientific evidences proves that earliest rice cultivators were Indians. Rice farming in India much older than thought, used as 'summer crop' by ... via @Cambridge_Uni @EurekAlert
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
2 years
Seriously??
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Niraj Rai
2 years
Super excited to work at cave sites of Nagaland. Looking forward to understand the untouched, unknown past of North East India.
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Niraj Rai
5 years
Harappans were not only dependent on monsoonal rains. Date of Ghaggar and Saraswati was established between 9.5-4.5 ka with cutting edge research. "Legendary river Saraswati is older than thought"
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
2 years
Proptohistoric ancient DNA data from Cambodia corroborates the literary evidences of 2000 year old Funan dynasty of Cambodia that was established by an Indian Hindu Preist named Kaundinya.
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
5 years
There is no such thing as an Aryan race. But a few thousand years prior, there was a migration the other way around : from India to the rest of most of the world.
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
5 months
Harappan were Indigenous. Now history will be taught differently. Our Archaeo-genetics work on Rakhigarhi is well recognised. NCERT tweaks Class 12th History book: Harappans indigenous, doubts over Aryan migration | Education News - The Indian Express
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
5 years
The term ‘Arya’ is a cultural term, not an ethnic term. Simillarly, the word ‘Dravida’ is related to geography and not any race. Our traditions never used the terms ‘Arya’ or ‘Dravida’ in a racial context and, more importantly, never used the terms as opposites.
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
5 years
We also provide an independent line of evidence from Genetics, to support existing archaeological evidence, to suggest that there was substantial migration of people from The Harappan civilization into Eastern Iran and Central Asia.
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Niraj Rai
5 years
'' Harappan Civilization was a more powerful civilization than was previously admitted in academia, considering that we found influence was higher from Sindhu-Sarasvati area to the Jiroft Culture of Iran & to the Oxus Civilization of Central Asia than the other way around.
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
6 years
Genetic evidence of Horses in mature Harappan period. The findings will be published soon.
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
11 months
Here is the first paper we published on the Indian Jews Diaspora. Indian Jewish are one of the early offshoot of Jewish Diaspora who migrated to India during 5th century AD. Since then they are one of the peaceful and harmonious communities of the country
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
2 years
There is now clear evidence for early Holocene cultivation of rice in the Middle Gangetic plains of northern India and by 3200 BC, rice agriculture was present outside the Ganges in the Indus Civilization.
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
5 years
Another Breakthrough - introgression of indicine-derived DNA into Central Italian white cattle breeds, possibly as the result of several gene flow events during agro-pastrolist Out of India Migration about 8000 years ago.
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
5 years
This is Insane! A journal publication is a mandatory requirement to get the PhD degree. Since, Mr. BiharToTihar could not publish it in a proper journal, he published it in a predatory journal with dubious credentials.
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
5 years
The ancient Indus Valley and Harappan civilization was rich with children's toys, some of which are still common in today's India shows the continuity. Here are few examples:
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
4 years
I'm glad to announce that my lab will be testing COVID19 from next weeks onwards. Thanks @IndiaDST for trusting on us.
@IndiaDST
DSTIndia
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
2 years
At Rakhigarhi. A Harappan settlement flourished about 5000 years ago.
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Niraj Rai
5 years
The Archaeology News Network: Large Ganesha statue unearthed in central Java
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
5 years
Who were the custodians of Indus Valley Civilization? How farming in South Asia arose? Our first ever ancient DNA results on IVC will be published online on 5th September, 2019. We will share more information on our findings on 6th at National Museum, New Delhi.
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Niraj Rai
7 months
4500 year old 24 carats gold pendent from Kanmer, Rajasthan shows the advancement and precision gold soldering techniques by the Harappans.
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
2 years
It seems, he read the book.
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Niraj Rai
5 years
First archaeologically based map of the dispersal of the RigVedic hump backed bull pattern throughout the Ancient East proving the origin of the Indo-Aryans in the Sindhu (Indus) Valley and the migration of the Indo-Aryan and other Indo-European tribes out of the South Asia.
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Niraj Rai
4 years
Like the Hindu culture, ancient Maya culture had a pantheon of gods, many of which have similarities to the Hindu deities. Sadly, like Islamic conquerors build mosques and destroyed Hindu temples in India, the Spanish constructed churches over distroyed Maya temples in Mexico.
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Niraj Rai
2 years
Nobody thought about 300 martyrs for 157 years. We first time revealed the geographical origin of murdered soldiers during British Raj. DNA data highlights the role of Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in anti- colonial revolts of 1857.
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
5 months
We are aiming to understand early peopling of India by analysing aDNA from Pleistocene, Late Palaeolithic and Mesolithic human remains excavated from the Bhimbetka Rock shelters.
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Niraj Rai
1 year
We shares Genetic past with the SriLankans. Wow....Our First Genome-wide study on Sinhalese population suggest that North Indian affiliation to the Sinhalese population. It also traces the common root of Sinhalese and Marathas of India. @gyanc7 @IndiaDST
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
4 years
This is shameful Punjab accounted for 82% of stubble burning cases among three states, along with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, between October 1 and 23, which contributed heavily to foul air choking the NCR.
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
2 years
This is my lab looks like over weekend. PhD students are engaged in processing one of the finest and diverse set of ancient DNA samples from South and South East Asia. @BSIP_official @IndiaDST .
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Niraj Rai
3 years
What an emotional moment! Based on our aDNA analysis and breakthrough discovery, relics of Martyr "Queen Ketevan of Georgia" is going back to the motherland nearly after 400 years.
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Niraj Rai
2 years
Harappans were biggest exporter of carnelian beads to rest of the world. source: Indian Journal of Archaeology.
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Niraj Rai
4 years
Genetic diversity in Indian cattle was found to be higher than that of their European counterparts, suggest that indicine breeds originated and domesticated in Southern Asia.
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Niraj Rai
7 months
We Indians have 1-2% ancestry from archaic hominids. We also have largest variation in Neanderthal ancestry among worldwide groups. Finally, Indians ere experiencing extremely high levels of endogamy which is leading high risk of genetic diseases.
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
7 months
Present day cultural traits are still rooted in the Indus civilisation.
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Niraj Rai
4 months
Big ancient genome wide data from Tibet plateau reveals for the first time that South Asian-related genetic influence in Tibetan plateau was from the Indus Valley Civilization (IVC) and IVC migrants in Central Asia.
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
3 years
Wish you long life, happiness and prosperity. @AmitShah
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
4 years
Presence of early Indians in Bali! Ancient DNA analysis suggest the presence of Indians in Bali atleast since 3000 to 2500 years before present Subsequently our ongoing ancient DNA analysis on Balinese samples even push back the dates by 300-400 years.
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Niraj Rai
3 years
Dholavira was one of the two largest Harappan cities in India is finally acknowledged. The people of Dholavira have build up world's earlisst water conservation system excavated ever.
@UNESCO
UNESCO 🏛️ #Education #Sciences #Culture 🇺🇳
3 years
🔴 BREAKING! Dholavira: A Harappan City, in #India 🇮🇳, just inscribed on the @UNESCO #WorldHeritage List. Congratulations! 👏 ℹ️ #44WHC
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Niraj Rai
2 years
Extensive DNA sampling campaign at high altitude and remote areas of Spiti Valley, Himanchal Pradesh is in progress.
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Niraj Rai
4 years
So much of history and prehistory is going to be changed in couple of years. South East of Asia was first civilised by Bharata since last 3000 years ago.
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Niraj Rai
5 months
History needs to be revisited again and again. Our recent genetic findings on Ahom dynasty, which ruled for 800 years in Assam confirms their ancestral homeland (Thailand) and later assimilation with the local Indian populations. @himantabiswa @IndiaDST
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Niraj Rai
4 years
Early humans used bows and arrows to hunt in tropical rainforests of Srilanka about 48,000 years ago. The study also suggest that bows and arrows were first discovered in South Asia.
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Niraj Rai
3 years
New study on "Saraswati River in northern India and its role in populating the Harappan civilization sites". The data confirms the existence of a magnificent River system, independent of the Satluj or the Ghaggar rivers at its entry in plains of Haryana.
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
5 years
सत्य की जीत तो होनी ही है। #AryanInvasion to #AryanMigration and soon it will be #HugsWithAryans 🙂 (50% (2016), 30% (2019), 10% 2020?). 😁
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
3 years
The rice cultivation in India is much older than we thought. So far we had evidences from Ganga plains and IVC but here we are presenting fresh results from drought and arid regions of Vidarbha, Central India.
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
3 years
#ब्राह्मणो_का_DNA_विदेशी Harappan ancestry is the single largest source population for all the Indians including Brahmins and Dalits. We would like to accept the DNA samples of those who still don't believe on scientific publications. @gyanc7 @ARanganathan72
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Niraj Rai
2 years
Journalists and Politicians are at worst. Mr. Gandhi- Racial purity is not a thing and race is not a biologically supported context. It has been a tool for politicians to propagating racism and should not be conflated with genetic ancestry.
@RahulGandhi
Rahul Gandhi
2 years
The last time a country had a culture ministry studying ‘racial purity’, it didn’t end well. India wants job security & economic prosperity, not 'racial purity', Prime Minister.
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Niraj Rai
4 years
Dancing girl is most- regarded as a work of art. This bronze sculpture made in lost-wax casting technique about 4300 year ago in the IVC city of Mohenjo-daro. The casting method is still used to create such statuettes called Dokra by the austro-asiatic Malla tribes of India.
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Niraj Rai
5 years
There is no arhaeological proof for an invasion and the hymnes of the Rig Veda prove a much older and important civilizationorigin of their people! why in heavens name still beleve this theory made up by 19th century adepts of the Bible fairy tales? Via #FreddyRombauts #
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Niraj Rai
2 years
Digging the deep rooted genetic history of our past. #Gadaba and #Bonda tribes of Orissa.
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Niraj Rai
2 years
Our first ever genetic study on extinct Indian Cheetah confirmed that Southeast African Cheetah is genetically closer to Indian Cheetah. The study has provided first scientific evidence to begin with reintroduction process of African Cheetah in to India.
@DrJitendraSingh
Dr Jitendra Singh
2 years
VIDEO: PM Sh @narendramodi releases #Cheetahs brought from Namibia in #KunoNationalPark , Madhya Pradesh #CheetahIsBack #IndiaWelcomesCheetah
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Niraj Rai
2 years
We published first ancient mitochondrial genome of Mesolithic hunter and gatherers of Sri Lanka. Result suggest that mtDNA haplogroups are Indian derived and observed in the South Asian region and rarely outside the region @amali__fernando @MaanasaRaghavan
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Niraj Rai
5 years
Linguistic and Genetic evidence is shown that seafaring Indus Valley people migrated to a vast number of coastal lands and islands and introduced their native Sanskrit tongue. EAST INDIAN INFLUENCE IN POLYNESIAN CULTURE via @academia
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Niraj Rai
2 years
Looking forward to publishing these results soon.
@Vritrahan2014
Nirjharaḥ Mukhopādhyāyaḥ
2 years
Good news: Ancient DNA samples from crucial Harappan sites like of Mohenjo Daro, Kalibangan, Rakhigarhi, Lothal, Ropar etc are under lab analysis. Bad news: There is no research funding to sequence them properly !
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Niraj Rai
5 years
''Our report gives strong genetic evidence to suggest that the Neolithic began independently in South Asia without any input from Fertile Crescent by a people distantly related to Iranian Neolithic farmers.''
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Niraj Rai
5 years
Antiquity knew about Egypt and Mesopotamia, but the Indus civilization, which was bigger than these two, was completely forgotten said researcher Liviu Giosan, a geologist in Massachusetts. "There are still many things we don't know about them."
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Niraj Rai
4 years
Another clear evidence of "Out of India" early trade routes and globalization in the ancient Near East during mature Harappan phase followed by long-term maintenance and continuity of this trade system into later periods.
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Niraj Rai
3 years
Genetic and cultural evidences suggest that Hinduism in Indonesia is existing prior to Saka Era (2000 years ago). Stories from the Mahabharata Epic have been traced in Indonesian islands to the 1st century; whose versions mirror also found in Tamil Nadu.
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Niraj Rai
5 years
''It is also possible now that the Neolithic in Western Iran and Anatolia could have had admixture from South Asia rather than vice verse as earlier believed.''
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@NirajRai3
Niraj Rai
5 years
Genetic data confirms that Muslim populations in general are genetically closer to their non-Muslim geographical neighbors than to other Muslims in India, and that there is a highly significant correlation between genetics and geography (but not religion).
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Niraj Rai
1 year
A new study on the origin of Indo-European languages, published by Science magazine, integrates linguistic and genetic research to infer that early forms of Greek and Sanskrit began to evolve as independent language branches from before 7000 years ago
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Niraj Rai
2 years
3rd millennium BC ring discovered from Oman depicting an Indian bison, a defining symbol of the Indus Valley (or Harappa) Culture. This discovery confirms that Bronze Age peoples were much more ingenious and technically advanced than previously thought.
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