Recently, a significant archaeological breakthrough came to light when the State Department of Archaeology in Chennai revealed the discovery of 250 cairn-circles at the Kodumanal excavation site in the Erode district of Tamilnadu. Prehistoric stone rows or cairn-circles are linear arrangements of parallel megalithic standing stones. Megaliths are large prehistoric stones used to build structures or monuments, individually or collectively.
Key Findings
In a first-time event, 10 pots and bowls were unearthed at the site, deviating from the usual three or four found outside three-chambered burial cists and within the cairn-circle. The increased count and enlarged dimensions of boulders hint at the possible high status of the interred, perhaps a village or community leader.
The substantial findings not only bring to light burial customs but also reflect upon the concept of afterlife in megalithic culture. The belief in life after death is reflected in the placing of grain-filled pots and bowls outside the burial chambers. The rectangular stone-built coffin-like structures, or cists, made of stone slabs, are encircled by strategically placed boulders.
Additional discoveries include an animal skull, beads, copper smelting units, workshop mud walls, potteries, and the Tamil Brahmi script.
Past Excavations and Insights
Earlier excavations at Kodumanal revealed that the site served as a trade-cum-industrial centre from the 5th century BCE to the 1st century BCE. The diversity of the site’s residents implies that it was a home for multi-ethnic groups.
The Culture of Megaliths
Megaliths, or large stone structures, were primarily used for creating burial or commemorative sites. The remains found at these locations like box-shaped stone burial chambers, stone circles with defined peripheries, and distinctive mushroom-shaped burial structures primarily seen in Kerala signify their function as burial sites.
The megalithic culture, which spanned from the Neolithic Stone Age to the early Historical Period (2500 BCE to CE 200), has its most significant representation during the Iron Age (1500 BC to 500 BC) in India. Maharashtra (primarily in Vidarbha), Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana are home to a majority of these megaliths.
About Kodumanal
Kodumanal is an archaeologically significant village situated in the Erode district of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The site lies on the northern banks of the Noyyal River, a tributary of the Cauvery.
