Archaeologists unearth 3,000-year-old megalithic burial site in Medak

After years of persistence, excavations in the region have yielded fruitful results. The State Department of Archaeology and Museums has unearthed not just iron weapons and black-ware pottery but skeletal remains, dating back to 1000 BC and 200 AD, from megalithic burial sites of Pullur banda village in India's Siddipet mandal of Medak.

Workers of department of archaeology and museums at the Megalithic burial site
 in Pullurubanda in Siddipet, Medak where skeletel remains were unearthed 
[Credit: EPS]

The last time skeletal remains were retrieved was decades ago. The department has identified as many as 50 sites spread across 20 acres in the village. Officials believe that two sites are secondary burials where skeletal remains after burning of a body is buried in a pit, 10 metre in diameter and 1.85 metre deep. It is marked by placing small boulders around it and also by placing a ‘menhir’ (a huge vertical stone) at one end. Excavation has been going on i9n the site since July 9.

Officials have identified the burial site excavated as ‘Cairn’, a megalithic burial, which is categorised by around 10-15 boulders kept in circular shape and a huge vertical stone kept on one side.

A huge cap stone weighing around eight tonnes, broken into three pieces and arranged in a triangular shape was also found in the burial, which officials say is the identity of the burial.

During the excavation, iron tools like dagger, arrowhead, iron forcep, knives, javelin, black ware and red ware pottery, and a small broken ring made of clay etc. were recovered.

Earthen pottery containing skeletel remains dating back to 1000 BC 
[Credit: Indian Express]

From the second burial site which is located 30 metres west of the menhir, bones in a damaged pot were retrieved along with black ware, red ware, and black and red ware etc.

“These findings will open a new insight into the culture and traditions of the megalithic communities of this region. Megaliths are a special class of monuments in the Deccan region.

All types of megalithic monuments like menhirs, stone circles, dolmens and dolmenoid cists are reported in hundreds of villages in all districts of the state,” said Sunita M Bhagwat, director, Department of Archaeology and Museums.

“The bone pieces and related materials will be sent to Indian Institute of Chemical Technology for radio carbon dating test to decide the exact dating,” she added.

Predominantly, along the Godavari in Khammam and Warangal, thousands of burial sites have been identified and excavated since the project began in 1990s.

Author: Rahul Pisharody | Source: The New Indian Express [August 11, 2015]