With old civilisations like the Hindu, much proof and evidence is lost over time. Everything seems like "stories". After the "holocaust" and "programs" from the 10th to the 15th centuries, the Hindu intelligentia and along with them much useful and accurate histories have been lost. Read, V.S. Naipaul's "India: A Wounded Civilisation" - it is a must read for every Indian, of all religions. Without going into details, there are good reasons to think Sri Rama lived around 8,000 years ago, about 1500 years after the last ice-age. He must have been an extraordinary man because people, his contemporaries WANTED TO remember him for his great qualities and prowess. They made a full record of his life. Even before Valmiki wrote down his life history, The Ramayana [The series (of events) of Rama] was being sung in the form of "folk songs" by the people of North and East India. Valmiki, codified all the songs into proper Sanskrit. He also recorded faithfully all the geographical names of all the places Sri Rama and Sri Lakshmana visited. I am of the view that the "monkies" they met were "Neandrathal Humans" = another species of humans. VA-NARA in Sanskrit means "OR HUMANS", that is "Alternate or Other Humans". Valmiki is not lying when he reports the conversations between Sri Rama and the people of Kishkinta. Sri Hanuman, was a master of the language, his power of speech, correct speech, endeared him to everyone. Monkeys cannot speak. Sri Hanuman was over 7 feet tall.
