CHENNAI:A rare megalithic urn burial site is discovered at Lingavaram hamlet, near to Tamminapatnam village in hillakur mandal of Nellore district, Andhra Pradesh. The site is facing a threat from treasure hunters who are digging it up and destroying urn burials to a large extent.
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 and one of a kind cultural site in its nature of sand dunes in India. Since, it is an open site and an unprotected one, it is in danger due to the 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 first came to light, by some labourers during the time of 100 days work scheme of Central Government. On information, a freelance archaeologist cum historian Sk Rasool Ahmad, his team mates and Yesubabu visited the site. The area comprises a most sandy plain and in between some patches of sand-loam soils.
The burial site spreads an area of more than 100 acres. The sand dunes are rising 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 variety and 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.
Pottery type which is commonly used in all the three phases is black polished ware. A good number of graffiti marks were noticed on the urns. Besides the pottery, other objects like beads of terracotta and stone and charred bones have also been noticed.
The urns are very similar to the cultural assemblage of Adichanallur burial site in Thoothukudi district. 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 the date of Adichanallur (800-600 BC), Yesubabu said.
There are around 875 megalithic sites of different types found in all the districts of erstwhile combined State of Andhra Pradesh, but the present site is a unique one in its nature of sand dunes which is not found elsewhere inAndhra Pradesh in particular and India in general, he said.
Dated 800-600 BC
Urns are very similar to the cultural assemblage of Adichanallur burial site in Thoothukudi district. As the grave pots and antiquities of the present site are akin to Adichanallur burial site, and dated 800-600 BC