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<< News >> Hero stones of third century BC found in India

Submitted by coldrum on Tuesday, 17 October 2006  Page Views: 2211

Neolithic and Bronze AgeCountry: India Type: Standing Stone (Menhir)

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Hero stones inscribed with Tamil-Brahmi script datable to third century BC have been discovered by the faculty of the Department of Epigraphy and Archaeology, Tamil University, Thanjavur, at Thathapatti in Nilakottai taluk of Dindigul district.

C. Subramaniam, Vice-Chancellor, Tamil University, said that it was a remarkable discovery made by V. P. Yatheeshkumar working under the leadership of K. Rajan, Head of the Department of Epigraphy and Archaeology.

The stone was found on a menhir installed as part of urn burial. It was found on the southern bank of river Vaigai about 16 km south of Batlagundu. This is for the first time Brahmi inscribed hero stone was noticed on a menhir.

More: with photo: The Hindu

Note: We (as in Western stones enthusiasts) know so little about the megaliths of the Indian Subcontinent - can anyone help in this area?
Contributor Bio for coldrum: Based in Milkyway, contributing since 2002. Favourite site: Avebury.

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"Hero stones of third century BC found in India" | Login/Create an Account | 1 comment
  
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Evidence of pre-historic humans in Thanjavur by coldrum on Wednesday, 17 June 2009
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Evidence of pre-historic humans in Thanjavur

Clear evidence of the existence of pre-historic humans in Thanjavur region has been identified in the archaeological excavations undertaken by Tamil University here.

The excavations carried out in the past two weeks on the Tamil University campus revealed clinching evidence on the existence of Palaeolithic and Mesolithic cultures in stratified contexts.

University chancellor M. Rajendran, who visited the excavation site, observed that these findings by the Department of Epigraphy and Archaeology under the direction of V. Selvakumar of the department were significant and would shed new light on the way of life of prehistoric human beings.

The excavations were carried out under the major research project titled “Landscape Archaeology of Prehistoric cultures of Southern Tamil Nadu,” funded by University Grants Commission, said a University press release issued here on Friday.

The excavations revealed two cultural phases, namely, Palaeolithic and microlithic. The Palaeolithic artefacts consisted of scrapers and flake tools.

They were found in the laterite rock surface below a sterile layer that underlies the layer that produced Mesolithic artefacts and this signified the chronological gap between these two cultures.

It is important to note that such stratigraphic evidence was found in Thanjavur region for the first time.

The stratigraphic evidence suggests that the paleolithic culture could go back well over 10,000 years and efforts are on to get scientific dates.

The evidence of using microlith tiny stone tools such as scrapers, triangles and points made of quartz suggest that Mesolithic people led a hunter-gatherer way of life about 10,000-3000 years ago. These people did not have the knowledge of pottery or metal implements.

http://www.hindu.com/2009/05/10/stories/2009051054690600.htm
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