Giving a boost to the demands of local people for conservation of Nedumala Cave, Pilarimattom, near here, relics from the megalithic culture were found in the cave by a team of Archaeological experts.
V Sanal Kumar, archaeological researcher who led the team, said several microliths, small stone tool used in Megalithic culture and other relics, have been unearthed from the cave.
In the state, several Megalithic relics, including microliths, were found earlier by archaeologists mainly in Palakkad, Kannur, Malappuram, Wayanad, Kottayam, Kollam and Thiruvanathapuram. But it is for the first time that such a discovery is being made in the district.
“We have found nearly 12 microliths in the cave apart from other relics and it is definite that men from the Megalithic culture lived there. The presence of Thodupuzha river backs the possibility,” he added.
According to Sanal, the cave should be have over 10,000-years old as the microliths are a minimum 6,000 years old.
We could have got several valuable evidence from the site had the authorities launched an excavation mission here.
He added that the government should take immediate steps to conserve the archaeological spot which is currently under demolition threat from mining mafia.
The study report will be submitted to the State Archaeology Department and the Archaeological Survey of India, he added.
Recently, a team of archaeologists led by P Rajendran, of the Kerala University had found the cave which was in a state of neglect.
The team too had found objects archaeological importance.
Though the spot has been identified as Archaeological importance area by several experts and locals people have been raising demands to protect the cave from mining mafia, the state Archaeology Department is yet to take any effective steps in this regard.
Following local protests, a team of officials with the State Archaeology Department had visited the spot earlier.
But the team submitted a report to the department stating that the area has nothing archaeological importance.