In a recent discovery, archaeologists revealed that four remarkably preserved human skeletons, believed to date back approximately 5,000 years, have been found in an ancient village in northern India. The findings were announced on Wednesday.

Archaeological teams from India and South Korea have been conducting excavations since 2012 in an area of the Haryana state. This region is believed to be the location of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization.

The skeletons of two men, one woman, and a child were recently discovered in the village cemetery in recent days, along with items indicating a belief in reincarnation, according to project co-director Nilesh Jhadav as reported by the Hindustan Times.

“We have found material like pottery with grains of food and shell bangles located near or around skeletons, which enabled us to conclude that the settlers believed in reincarnation,” said Jhadav.

Malavika Chatterjee, one of the researchers, mentioned that they also found toys, mostly figurines of animals as well as mythical characters.

“A figurine of a dog with a leash points towards their domestication aspect. We also found figurines of unicorns, giving us an impression of their mythical state of mind,” she said.

The Indus Valley Civilization, also known as the Harappan Civilization, stands as the oldest known urban culture in the subcontinent, with roots reaching back as far as 5,000 years ago.

Work at the excavation site, spanning over 20 hectares in the Hisar district of Haryana, northwest of New Delhi, is ongoing, as reported by the Press Trust of India news agency.