MENHIR AND MEGALITHIC BURIAL SITES AT KODUMANAL

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Context

• These mentioned sites were declared as protected monument by Tamil Nadu Department of Archaeology. These sites include -
  • Menhir (standing stone) on government poramboke ‘vandi pathai’, a cart track - an area in the range of 0.20 hectare to 0.34 hectare.
  • A habitation site on PWD land with an area of 2.4 hectares.
  • Megalithic burial sites on PWD land which are two in number – areas of these sites are 2.5 hectares and 2.68 hectares respectively. and
  • A megalithic burial site on Natham, a government land – area of 2.3 hectares.
• Hence, near these protected monuments, in 200-metre radius there is a ban on mining and construction activities. And two noticeboards are informing the same are installed at these sites.

Significance of Kodumanal

• Kodumanal, located on the northern banks of the Noyyal, is in Erode district of Tamilnadu.
• Previously too, antique materials were discovered from the village in 10 seasons of excavations.
• Excavations are carried by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the State Department of Archaeolog
• Some of the items discovered were
  • Semi-precious stone beads.
  • Metals items of copper, silver, iron, and
  • Terracotta items etc.
• In Tamilnadu budget of 2021, Kodumanal village was announced to be declared as a protected archaeological site.

Other Important Information

• In Tamilnadu the monuments of historical importance are declared under Tamil Nadu Act 25, of 1966.
• It prohibits and warns people against destroying, removing or misusing these protected sites.
• The act also has provisions of banning mining or construction in these declared monuments.

Other Findings of Excavation near Kodumanal

• A large number of Potsherds, pieces of ceramic material, which contains names inscribed on them in Tamil-Brahmi script.
• Roman silver coins, precious stones and quartz – hinting a 2300 years old existence of industrial and trade centre.
• A stepwell look alike structure

Menhir

• It is a megalithic monument of prehistoric time.
• A tall, large upright stone of which is erected either singly or in groups.
• These are mainly distributed in the continent of Europe, Africa and Asia and considered to be belonged to European middle Bronze Age.
• The purpose to erect such stone are still not clear however these sites are believed to be the site where most ancient religious ceremonies, including burial, were performed by the people of that time.

Megalithic burial sites

• Megalith are the big stone boulders carefully arranged and made burial sites by people.
• These were found mainly underground however some sites were on the surface.
• Such practices are believed to be started almost 3000 years ago and it was considered common practice in the Deccan, south India, in the north-east and Kashmir.

Types of these burial sites

Pit Circle graves  

• In such types of graves a stone circle of stones is erected around the pit. On these sites dead were found buried with goods like black and red ware pottery and iron artifacts.

Cists

• These are box-shaped stone burial chambers made from granite and may contain single or multiple burials.

Laterite chambers

• These grave chambers In Malabar, instead of granite slabs, there are grave-chambers excavated into laterite.

Capstone

• These are the burial sites in the shape of Mushrooms.

Monuments of historical importance/Protected Monuments Protected monuments are ancient monuments declared to be of national importance under the following act(s).  Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Declaration of National Importance) Act, 1951, States Reorganisation Act, 1956 - section 126. Under the provisions of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, Central Government may acquire such monument for their maintenance. It can take various activities for the preservation, conservation and safety of these monuments of national importance.

Must read Article:

https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/agra-fort-1

PRACTICE QUESTION Highlighting the Megalithic burial sites in India, discuss how protected monuments help in preserving the history of mankind. What are the challenges faced in protection of such monument of national importance? (250 words)

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/menhir-and-megalithic-burial-sites-declared-as-protected-monuments-at-kodumanal/article66957705.ece