Arabian Sea was 10 m higher, 200 m in: expert

Road widening work on Vasco-Cortalim highway revealed a piece of history. A piece cast in a hill. Extensive deposits of windowpane oysters and other shell deposits indicate that the Arabian Sea was a couple of 100 m inside the present landmass and at least 10 m higher.

The deposits in the hillside at Chicalim, revealed after excavation work in the area, are indicators of a high sea level more than 2,000 years ago.

"These deposits are 200 meters away from the present high tide and almost 10 m higher than the existing tide. These sediments must be more than 2000 years old", says Dr Baban Ingole, chief scientist of Biological Oceanography from National Institute of Oceanography.

The road widening work on the Vasco-Cortalim highway undertaken by the Mormugao Port Trust for coal transportation exposed the shiny white layers of marine sediments in red soil, running 50 to 70 m along the slope.

The extensive shelly or foraminiferal deposits most likely indicate that the level of the sea was higher during that time than the present," says Ingole.

Locals in the area are also very excited with the discovery."We can see four layers of these oysters embedded into the hillside. We want the government to conduct scientific study of these deposits and determine exact age of these remains. We can even see river sand embedded here. We need to study more", says Cyril Fernandes from Chicalim.

These sediments and a couple of millennia old oysters have become attractions for people across the state right now. Fishing is still a major occupational activity in the village of Chicalim and the area is rich in fish resources.