Relics from the Stone Age, New Stone Age and megalithic material in a 35 km-belt from Hunasagi to Budihal villages of Surpur taluk in Yadgir district lie unprotected.
When this correspondent visited Hunasagi, Rajankollur and Budihal villages, except Rajankollur, the Central and State governments have done little to protect the sites and the land has now been encroached.
Though the state Archaeology Department has identified Hunasagi as a protected site, it has neither fenced the area nor taken up further excavation. No efforts have been taken to set up a museum too.
Budihal has been identified as the biggest centre of the people of the New Stone Age in south India. Emeritus Professor of Archaeology K Paddayya, a Padma Shri, excavated and surveyed Hunasagi and Budihal villages for 35 years for six to eight weeks a year. He says in his research paper that he found stone tools like axes, knives, scrapers made of limestone and accumulated wild plant and animal foods.
He said Stone Age people lived in Hunasagi between 10,000 and 12 lakh years ago.
The researcher has handed over some of the materials to the Hunasagi gram panchayat for preservation. The GP has preserved some mud pots and weapons.
There was rich evidence that there was a large butchery at Budihal. Excavations have exposed a full-fledged settlement, including cattle and a garbage dumping area. Burying the dead started in the New Stone Age and at Budihal, infant burials in small pots were found, says Paddayya.
In Rajankollur, about 15 km from Budihal, stone chambers or dolmens, locally called ‘Buddara Mane’ were found.
The Archaeological Survey of India has fenced off an area housing 42 dolmens in full shape and 48 in a damaged state, guarded by a watchman.
It is common belief that tiny men lived here and the archaeologists do not rule out this possibility.
These monuments were said to be of megalithic period. None of the sites had anybody from the Archaeology Department to brief visitors about the importance of the place.