THENI: Seeking protection for prehistoric rock paintings at Manguni Pudavu in Moonandipatti village of Theni, the Cheral Heritage and Ecology Research Centre has urged the state Archaeology Department to declare the site a protected archaeological monument.
Archaeological researcher and Cheral coordinator C Manickaraj said that red ochre paintings in TN are considered to be over 5,000 years old. However, the precise age of the Moonandipatti paintings could be established only through systematic scientific research. The paintings include faded human figures, deer, symbols and figures apparently carrying weapons. One white-painted scene appears to show two figures wielding throwing weapons, which Manickaraj interprets as valari, a traditional weapon mentioned in Tamil literature.
He said the site was particularly significant as it lies along an ancient trade route near the Vaigai river and is located amid other archaeological remains, including megalithic burial monuments and the Pulimankombai hero stones dating to the 4th-3rd centuries BCE. However, the paintings are gradually deteriorating due to natural factors and human activity.
He sought protection for Manguni Pudavu, covering Pulimankombai Survey Field Nos 1/2 and 1/1, under the TN Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1966.
Cheral member Tamildasan said a petition seeking protection of the site was sent to the Collector and the Commissioner of Archaeology.
