CHENNAI : A rare megalithic urn burial site, discovered at Lingavaram hamlet, adjacent to Tamminapatnam village in Chillakur mandal of Nellore district in Andhra Pradesh, is facing threat from treasure hunters who dig up the site destroying large number of urn burials.M Yesubabu, assistant epigraphist, Archaeological Survey of India, Epigraphy Branch, Southern Zone, Chennai told Express that during a preliminary site study, archaeologists stumbled upon a unique sand dune Megalithic Urn burial site at Lingavaram.
“It is really a unique cultural site in its nature of sand dunes which is not found elsewhere in India. The open and unprotected site is in danger from ignorant local people and treasure hunters. A large number of urn burials are being destroyed in search of treasure,” he said.The present sand dune Urn burial site was brought to light by some labourers working under Centre’s 100 days work scheme. On information, a freelance archaeologist cum historian SK Rasool Ahmad, his team mates and Yesubabu visited the site comprising a majority of sandy plain and some patches of sand-loam soils in between.
The burial site spreads over 100 acres. The sand dunes have risen to a maximum height of 10 feet from the surrounding surface, said Yesubabu.Apart from the cultural materials, another significant observation is the three levels of urn burials. The classification of the burials is based on the sealing layers. Mainly two types of burials have been noticed -- primary burials (with skeletal remains) and secondary burials (without skeletal remains).
Similarly, different types of pottery were noticed. The study of the pottery at the site shows the dominance of red ware. Most of the grave goods, either inside the urn or outside, in all the three phases are Black-and-Red ware. Black polished ware is the commonly used pottery type in all the three burials. Many graffiti marks have been noticed on the urns. Besides the pottery, other objects like beads of terracotta and stone and charred bones have also been found.
The urns are more similar to the cultural assemblage of Adichanallur burial site in Thoothukudi. As the grave pots and antiquities of the present site are akin to Adichanallur burial site, the date of early phase of the present site is tentatively assumed to be that of Adichanallur (800-600 BC), Yesubabu said adding the present site is a unique in its nature of sand dunes.