HYDERABAD: In a rare find, an ancient memorial stone in the form of an anthropomorphic figure was found at Kesaram village of Bhuvanagiri mandal in Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri district by K Ganesh, a member of Kotha Telangana Charithra Brundam KTCB. The stone signifies the period when human civilisation was gradually shifting from nomadic to stationary life with the emergence of farming.
The memorial stone, which archaeologists say, is a type of ‘menhir’, looked like an asexual human form with distinct body parts. The carved stone is 6 feet high and 4.4 feet wide, with a rounded head, rectangular chest, shoulders and lower waist, with its bottom part buried deep inside the soil.
According to archaeologists, the Megalithic period in south India was between 1,800 BC and 300 AD, which is also known as the Iron Age, when human development had reached its peak in the ancient history. Practices like farming, animal husbandry and various traditions had evolved during this period.
According to S Haragopal, KTCB Convener, such monuments have been found across the world in countries like Indonesia, and also in Warangal and Khammam districts in Telangana.
“Researchers like Baid, Hutton, Christopher von Fürer-Haimendorf and Tripathi, in their books, wrote that the practice of erecting memorial stones at the tombs of the Megalithic era could be seen in tribal groups like Gonds, Gadabals, Kurumbas, Mundas, Nagas and Savars. Such anthropomorphic monuments were found in Bellari in Karnataka and North Arkatu in Tamil Nadu as well. These rocks have mostly been found together with stone-age tombs and memorial tombs,” he tells TNIE.
“These figures are like the designs for abstract concepts, and do not resemble the complete human body parts. Except in some places like Thottigutta in Khammam district where the sexuality was attributed to such figure, mostly the sexuality is not known in these figures. Even in the present day world, some people worship such monuments as ‘jeja’ or their native god. There is also a tradition in the tribal communities of worshipping these monuments as a representation of their ancestors.
One such monument is being worshipped as Bayyanna in Kodakandla village of Jangaon district,” Haragopal added.He opines that the form of anthropomorphic figure could have been the design before the development of sculptures in their full form, which happened later in the history.
ALSO FOUND IN INDONESIA
S Haragopal, KTCB Convener, said such monuments (menhirs) have been found across the world in countries like Indonesia. He opines that the form of anthropomorphic figure could have been the design before the development of sculptures in their full form, which happened later in the history