Table of Contents

MEGALITHIC CULTURE IN SOUTH INDIA

What is Chalcolithic Period

The “Rig Vedic Culture” of North India corresponds to the Copper Age culture of other parts of the Indian subcontinent.
It is called “chalcolithic culture” because people used copper (chalco) and stone (lithic) at the same time.

Copper age culture of India and mature Harappan culture = contemporary.
Even after the decline of the Harappan culture, the Copper Age culture continued to prevail.
Post Vedic culture of North India and Iron Age social culture of South India = Contemporary.
After the end of the Iron Age culture, the “Megalithic Culture” began.
Period of Megalithic Culture = 600 BC to 100 AD.
The Megalithic Period of ancient Tamil Nadu corresponds to the pre-Sangam period.
Pottery attributed to the Megalithic Age = black and red ware pottery.

Adhichanallur is located in which district = Thoothukudi district.
Materials found in Adichanallur Excavation = Urns, pottery of various kinds (Red Ware, Black Ware), iron implements, daggers, swords, spears and arrows, some stone beads and a few gold ornaments.
Animal figures made of bronze have been found at Adichanallur.
Bronze figures of domestic animals and wild animals like tiger, elephant, deer etc. have been found.

Keezhadi belongs to which district = Sivagangai District.
Keezhadi = Ancient city of Sangam period.
Excavation Agency = The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
Evidence found in Keezhadi Excavation = brick built buildings, well laid drainage system.
Materials found in Keezhadi excavations = Tamil – Brahmi inscription on pottery, beads of glass, carnelian and quartz, pearl, gold ornaments and iron objects, shell bangles, ivory dice have been unearthed.
In 2017, the Indian Department of Archeology sent two samples to Beta Analytic in Florida, USA for radiocarbon dating. It has been revealed that these objects belong to 200 BC.
Place where Roman antiquities were found = Keezhadi.

Material to be exported from Peninsular India to Rome = steel.
The Periplus mentions that steel was exported from peninsular India to Rome and that it was taxed at the port of Alexandria.

Porunthal belongs to which district = Dindigul District.
Materials found in the Porunthal Excavation = Grave goods, glass beads (in red, white, yellow, blue and green), iron swords, pottery with Tamil Brahmi scripts, pots filled with rice, semi-precious metals such as quartz, carnelian, bangles made of glass and shell.
Place where there is evidence of Tamilnadu people growing paddy = Porunthal (Dindigul).
Evidences of Tamilnadu people growing rice are = The discovery of iron sickle, pike, and tip of ploughs.
A pot of rice from Porunthal site proves that rice was people’s staple food.

Paiyampalli belongs to which district = Vellore District.
Materials found in Paiyampalli excavations = Iron ware, Megalithic black and red pottery.
Place where evidence of iron smelting is found = Paiyampalli (Vellore district)..
The period of Paiyampalli culture is predicted as = 1000 BC.

Kodumanal belongs to which district = Erode District.
The Sangam literary book that says about Kodumanal = Pathitrupathu.
The largest number of items found in Kodumanal Excavation is = More than 300 pottery inscriptions in Tamil – Brahmi.
Materials found in Kodumanal Excavations = spindles, whorls (used for making thread from cotton) and pieces of cloth, along with tools, weapons, ornaments, beads, particularly carnelian.
A “Menhir” found near the burial mound at Kodumanal is predicted to be of Megalithic period.

Two or more stone slabs are planted vertically on either side of the burial site and another stone slab is placed on top of them as a bed.
Dolmens are Megalithic tombs.
Megalithic Dolmens have been found in = Veeraraghavapuram village (Kanchipuram district), Kummalamaruthupatti (Dindigul district), Narasingampatti (Madurai district) and in Pandavan Thittu (Dharmapuri District).

Memorial stones are called “Menhir” in English.
The word Menhir comes from the British language.
“Men” means “stone”. “Hir” means “long”.
These pillars made of single stone are erected vertically in memory of the dead.
Places where memorial stones are found in Tamil Nadu = Singaripalayam (Tirupur), Vempur (Theni), Narasinghampatti (Madurai), Kumarikkal Palayam (Erodu), Kodumanal (Erodu).
Monuments = memorial stones that indicate ancient habitations on both banks of the river.

A Hero Stone is a memorial stone raised in remembrance of the honourable death of a hero in a battle or those who lost their lives while defending their village from animals or enemies.
Places where Hero stones are found in Tamil Nadu = Maanur (near Palani, Dindigul district), Vellalankottai (Tuticorin), Pulimankombai (Dindigul).