Washington, D.C.Geologists in India unearth clues to "legendary" river

Geologists in India believe they have found evidence that the Thar desert of Rajasthan was once a vastly fertile region nurtured by the mythical Saraswati river. The Saraswati's holy waters flowed from the Himalayas into the sea, nourishing the land along the way, according to the BBC. As the centuries passed and no one could find evidence of it, the Saraswati passed into the realm of folklore. The geologists discovered elephant fossils more than two meters below ground that are believed to be thousands of years old. The fossils were the latest in a series of clues that have many believing that the Saraswarti was more than a mythical river, but rather a hub of south-Asian civilization thousands of years ago. Exploration of this region began after scientists noticed long-dried riverbanks were 3 kilometers across in some places and 2001 earthquakes unearthed "hidden pockets of freshwater," according to BBC reports. Scientists found fish fossils that dated back more than 180 million years. According to the latest theory, abrupt climatic changes led to the blocking of river systems and the formation of saline lakes.