Megaliths are undressed burial stones belonging to pre-historic Kerala, in India during 1000BCE to 500CE. Originally excavated by J. Babington, in Kerala, the term megaliths derives its origin from the Greek words 'Mega' (big) and 'Lithos' (stone). In this period, Kerala was inhabited by agro-pastoral communities skilled in iron metallurgy. The objective of the paper is to study the cultural and sepulchral practices of the society with the help of the material vestiges left by them. It also intends to explore the nature of the exchange/trade economy boosted by their skill in iron metallurgy. Further, it analyses burial practices adopted by these communities to understand how they commemorated their ancestors. This qualitative study adopts a critical and descriptive approach in analysing both primary and secondary data along with the author's personal observations and inferences.The primary data are the Archaeological Survey of India's excavation reports and the secondary data include the classical literature belonging to the period. The key research questions of this study are 'Whether these structures evidences settlements in these areas?' and 'Were these sepulchral practices evidences of social stratification?'. The study found that are nine types of megaliths-Urn burials, Cap Stones, Hat Stones, Dolmens, Menhirs, Stone Circles, Cists, Rock Cut Chambers and Sarcophagus. They were made of locally available granite, laterite and terracotta. Grave goods found in assemblages inside or beneath these structures consisted of pottery, metal implements, beads and bones. These findings evidences agro-pastoral communities attempting to settle with their diverse skills and proficiency in myriad occupations.

Authors:
Priyadarsini Parimadathil, University of Calicut, India

About the Presenter(s)
Dr Pyiyadarsini P is currently employed as a Professor in History at Providence Women's College(Autonomous)in Kozhikode, Kerala,India.Is a passionate teacher and an ardent researcher andloves travelling.Enjoys public speaking,cooking,art and travel.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Friday Schedule

Bookmark