New Light on the Unresolved Problem of Megalithic Habitation Sites in Kerala (original) (raw)
Related papers
The Archaeology of Burials: Examples from Indian Subcontinent Volume -II, 2020
The megalithic culture is the major field of research in Kerala and the Megalithic archaeology of the state is still in the beginning stage in spite of the number of works carried out in the state in 19th and 20th centuries. Scholars were mainly interested in certain aspects of the Megalithic archaeology of particular regions. As a result, majority of the places in Kerala haven’t received much attention. Thiruvananthapuram district is one such area where very less systematic researches were conducted till date. Various agencies like Archaeological survey of India, State Archaeology Department and various universities conducted sporadic explorations and excavations in different parts of Thiruvananthapuram. But a systematic exploration of Thiruvananthapuram is a very important task. Without extensive explorations and systematic study of the burials, a real account of the Megalithic culture of Thiruvananthapuram could not be developed. It was, therefore, a preliminary survey conducted in Nellanad village of Nedumagadu taluk to understand the present scenario of megalithic monuments in Thiruvananthapuram district and the explorations yielded 8 new megalithic sites.
Locating the Megalithic Burial Sites of Sulthan Bathery Taluk, Wayanad district, Kerala
National Trust For Promotion of Knowledge: Indian Journal of Archaeology, 2022
Megalithic Culture indicates ‘huge stone burial culture’ which are the predominant archaeological remains of the Iron Age that represents a formative stage of the history of Kerala in general and Wayanad district in particular. Due to the unavailability of habitational evidences the Iron Age researches of Kerala are mainly based on grave goods which provide possible clues related to the material culture of Iron Age people. Wayanad a small hilly district of Kerala yielded varied types of megalithic burial monuments. Sulthan Bathery, a Taluk of Wayanad district is very rich in such kind of Archaeological evidences. The typology, architecture and grave goods obtained from megalithic monuments of the study area indicate that the people who belonged to this culture were technologically advanced and were aware about every form of livelihood. However, no systematic explorations and excavations have been conducted in the study area to understand the characteristics features of Megalithic people and their livelihood till date.
Tamil Civilization, 2013
Archaeological excavations undertaken at the site of Anakkara, Palakkad district, Kerala, in 2008-2009 brought to light Iron Age-Early Historic ('Megalithic') and the Mesolithic cultural evidence. Megalithic burial & of Kudakkal ad multiple hoodstone were excavated in 2008, and these burials produced rich variety of ceramics, iron objects, human bones and black and red ware (BRW) pottery. The burial of Kudakkal type had the chamber constructed on the ground by placing four clinostats of laterite, dressed to form the shape of a dome; another burial was of multiple hoodstone type, which had a slab-circle made of dressed laterite, with the top-portions of the slabs tilted towards the interior of the circle. Some of the human bones from the burials show evidence of cremation. This paper presents the findings of the research carried out at this site.
A Study on the Ceramic Sequence in the Megalithic Culture of Kerala
Man and Environment 45(1), 2019
This paper explores the ceramic sequence of the Megalithic pottery in Kerala, especially focusing on their typology and raC dates from the evidence found at Kuttikol and Niramakulam. Although a dozen Megalithic burials have been excavated in Kerala, absence of a plausible sequence has not yet been established in this region because ofa lack ofdetailed excavation reports, comparative study on the artefacts and raC dates. Ceramics that are common among burial goods in Megalithic burials are known to be a good chronological marker once their stylistic order is established with help of raC dates to better understand the origin, dispersal and decline of the Megalithic culture. While few research attempts have been made on this issue in the Megalithic archaeology of Kerala, nonetheless , there do exists several stylistic groups in the Megalithic pottery of the region under study. The ceramic chronological sequence proposed in this paper is hypothetical, but it can be a basis for further examination of ceramic evidence in the Mesalithic culture of Kerala.
A REVIEW OF MEGALITHIC SITES IN NILA (BHARATHAPUZHA) RIVER BASIN, CENTRAL KERALA
Transstellar journals, 2022
Megalithic burials are part of the cultural remains of Iron Age that too specially in southern part of Early Historic period while in Kerala, in the absence of discovery of habitation sites, they are the sole indicator which provides information on the socio-cultural and economic aspects of the contemporary society. The Megaliths are major source after archaeological excavations in this region which is associated with the Iron Age culture. These remains includes various types like kodakkal, toppikkal, rock-cut sepulcher, menhir, urn-burial, stone circle, cist, dolmens etc. the total seventeen sites has been analyzed to have a better understanding about the cultural aspects of the period and region under study in this paper, an attempt has been made to also understand the megalithic culture and explored archaeological sites in Bharathapuzha river valley.
Situating megalithic burials in the Iron Age-Early Historic landscape of southern India
Antiquity, 2013
The megalithic burials of southern India—a wonderfully varied set of monuments—have long needed a chronology and a context. Broadly contemporary with the Roman and Sasanian empires, these dolmens, cairns and cists have continually raised contradictions with their material contents. The authors attack the problem using luminescence applied to pottery at the site of Siruthavoor in north-east Tamilnadu. Although sharing material culture, this first pilot project gave dates ranging from 300 BC to AD 600, so exposing the problem and perhaps, in OSL, its long-term solution.
Megalithic and Early Iron Age Culture of Peninsular India
The paper deals with nature of evidence emerging out of the recent researches on Megalithic builders during Early Iron Age Culture in South India with special reference to Vidarbha region in Maharashtra. It also tries to look into the other aspects of socio-cultural and economic behaviour of the people.
From Megalithic to Early Historic: The Changing Notions of Space and Time in South India
The paper discusses the changing terminologies and time frames of the megalithic culture. Why the term megalithic culture is increasing fading from academic discourse and being replaced by newer terms such as Iron Age or the early historic transition. This suggests that archaeologists are still grappling with the emerging aspects as well as waning phases of the megalithic culture. The discussion delves upon the validity of terms such as Iron Age which is more of technocratic term. The news ideas are discussed din the backdrop of empirical evidence from the archaeological context of Kerala. This proves the need to look beyond sites and monuments inside the graves and the grave goods as well as the need to have more dates and empirical data from all parts of south India before proceeding towards vague generalities. The interesting evidence from Kerala particularly the Periyar valley in central Kerala is presented.