Megalithic burial site unearthed

Hyderabad: The Archaeology Department of Telangana which recently found Megalithic (1000 BC and 200 AD) burial site near Siddipet in Medak district has got a shot in arm with the government giving a go-ahead with the work. The excavations are intended for re-constructing the historic patterns towards filling the gaps in different periods.

These are likely to unfold thousands of years of history in the coming weeks. At Pullur Banda village near Siddipet, there are nearly 50 Megalithic burials. These are classified into three types, Menhir, Cairns (pit burials) and Dolmens. With a view to understand the culture and traditions of the Megalithic communities of this region, three burials have been selected for excavation.

Menhir is a huge vertical stone kept to the north of the big burial. bruisings are seen on its north side in the centre. These bruisings are stick type human forms with weapon in their hands. To know the foundations of the Menhir, a trench is laid and excavated upto 15 cms.

At one of the burial sites, iron implements like dagger, arrowheads, iron forcep, knife, javelin, black and red ware, black ware and red ware pottery, a small broken ring made of clay were recovered. In other two burials, clay utensils were recovered. Anthropomorphic (human) statue is being considered to be an important artefacts amongst the items recovered from a Dolmen type burial.

“We shall be sending these antiquities to CCMB for identifying the exact ‘carbon dating’. The results are likely to push the history of Telangana back to thousands of years,” said Tourism and Culture secretary B Venkatesham. Megaliths are special class of monuments in Deccan.

Discovery of cruciform monoliths in male and female forms known as Statue-Menhirs on the Mallugrugutta (Warangal) and Galabha in Kanchanapally (Khammam) is unique feature in the megalithic culture of mid-Godavari valley.

Amongst other historic artefacts recovered in the State include a treasure trove consisting of 40 gold coins in Garla Bayyaram, Khammam district, and palm leaf manuscripts found by Krishnaveni, a class IX student, during Swachh Bharat programme in Kondamallepally village of Devarakonda mandal in Nalgonda district.

The small gold coins, which were enclosed in brass pot are inscribed with Sri Pratapa Krishna Raya (1506 – 1530) and and Sri Pratapa Achyta Raya (1530 - 1542) are considered to be of Tuluva dynasty.

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