PALAKKAD: Different types of megalithic burial monuments, including nearly a dozen cists have been spotted at Vavumalakkundu in the Kannampra village near Vadakkenchery in Palakkad district.
The cists are built using monolithic slabs or two or three pieces of dressed granite. They are laid out in rectangular shape and the slabs have a thickness of 10-14 centimeters. Some of them are surrounded by a cairn circle.
Local tradition links the cist graves to a time when old people had to be buried in a pit with food and water and covered with a stone slab.
“Most of these cists have been spotted in private rubber plantations and they throw light on the nature of megalithic monuments, which vary according to the raw materials available in a particular region.
“Treasure-hunting by locals have resulted in damaging several cists. Still, those that are intact are going to give rich archaeological information on the iron age culture of the state.”, senior lecturer of history in Government Victoria College, Palakkad, K Rajan said.
Rajan had explored the area and came across this burial complex.
He said that it was V A Gangadharan of the Sri Kurumba Trust in Vadakkencherry, who had informed him two years ago, of this location as having megalithic remains.
The monuments have survived in the present form as the landscape did not change in the region, until around 25-30 years ago. The cist site was used for tapioca cultivation around 25 years ago and it was converted into a rubber plantation 15 years ago.
Quarrying marks have been noticed in the Vamala Hill, showing that the slabs required for making the cists were sourced from it.
“A total of 12 holes with a diameter of 15-16 cm are found on the middle of the hill. Close to the holes, is found a roof-less granite temple housing a huge linga is found. “Whether it is a later construction on the site or part of the megalithic tradition has to be examined.”, Rajan said.
Ante chambers have been noticed. The orientation of the cists is east-south-noth-west and in one of the cists, markings are found on the south-west side.
The thickness of the slabs varies. One of the cists has slabs having thickness of 19 centimeters. The side slabs have an average length of around 1-1.5 meters.
However, the eastern slabs are missing in many cists, supposedly removed by people.
