Post by L Roebuck on May 1, 2006 20:53:18 GMT -5
Discovery of chamber burial caves in Goa
by M S Deshpande
The discovery of chamber burials, a megalithic site at Valant and at Chikhali in Marmugao taluka of South Goa district has once again confirmed the existence of human habitation on the west coast in Goa since prehistoric times. Earlier to this, discovery of the late stone age sites, microlithic tool sites as well as discovery of early stone age handaxe had helped in building the past of Goa. There are periods of darkness and finding of the site of chamber burial will definitely help to make the picture clear.
Man developed economically a pastoral hunting-cum-agricultural society. They stayed together in thatched huts nearby in neolithic and chalcolithic period, but in chalcolithic period man was aware about the use of metal such as copper, iron etc. During chalcolithic period man had made progress in material life and same is reflected in furnishing the burial of their deceased kin.
The finding of megalithic sites in South India help us in defining its date and its culture etc. Megalithic may be described as a monuments (in India sepulchral) constructed with dressed or undressed stones usually of a large size and related with some burial practices.
As stated by Mr Dilip Chakrabarti that “it is nothing more than a burial style that emerged in the context of the neolithic chalcolithic of the distribution area and formed part of its cultural milieu for a long time”. Generally it is associated with iron but there is also a possibility of its beginning in the pre-iron stage. Megaliths is nothing but the feeling, affection, love or his attachment expressed by kin of the deceased while furnishing the burial.
The Britishers after establishing their hold over India took keen interest in studying the past of this great nation. The scholars had discovered number of mesolithic sites including that of Kerala.
The underground cave (man made) found at Chikhali and at Valant is nothing but a chamber burials of megalithic period. The chamber burial cave is scooped in a soft laterite with intention to deposit funerary remains in Kerla as stated by Dr B K Gururajrao. These caves consists of an open cell roughly rectangular or square cut vertically down the rock and provided with flight of steps for decent on the floor.
On one of the vertical faces of the well is caved an extension usually a little above the floor leading to a chamber semicircular, circular or roughly rectangular in shape sometimes these have recessed facade. The chamber are normally provided with bed or a bench on two are three side. Inside the chamber on the bed the funerary on skeletal remains or funerary pottery, iron objects were kept before sealing up the chamber entrance.
An another type of cave with hood stone and hat stone. Allied with these rock caves but of similar form are the cave with hood stone or hat stone, are also called a Kudaikallu in Kerla consists of a dome shaped dressed laterite block covering an underground pit cut into the natural laterite and provided with a stairway. This also covers an underground burial pit containing funerary urn and other grove furnishing, unlike rock cave there is no chamber apart from this.
Another type of chamber burial found in Kerla is exactly similar to that of found in Marmugao taluka, where in the chamber burial and bench or bed is provided at one or two sides of cave to keep funerary urn and other objects.
The chamber burial or underground cave burial found at Valant and at Chikhali are located on the slopes of a hill. These chamber burials are scooped in the laterite below the ground and approach to this cave is circular pipe or well like scooped vertically down and it measures 60 cm in diameter. The entrance or mouth of this well is closed hey keeping dressed laterite block of 70 x 25 cm in size. After entering in it and after crossing 1 metre laterite one decent in the cave. The cave measures either 1.80 x 1.80 cm or 2.60 x 2.60 cm. All the four underground caves are round in shape and measure either 1.80 or 2.60 mt in diameter.
Funerary remains were traced in one of the cave at Chikhali when it was accidentally discovered in 1964 while removing laterite blocks for construction. Those remains are kept in the state museum. No any remains are traced in other caves as those were already approached by layman after their discovery.
One has to note the technique followed by carver while scooping the approach of just 60 cm diameter wherein there is no space for working, moving on bending to collect the waste material to remove. As the scooping for the cave started by keeping 1 m laterite untouched, so there is every possibility that at first the carver must have scooped the pipe like approach up to the depth of minimum 2.5 metre with intention to obtain working place to scoop for cave by keeping 1 m laterite above untouched.
The answer to the following questions need to understand how cave was scooped. 1. How the carver had scooped the approach up to the depth of 2.5 metre. 2. What tool he might have used to dig? Whether it is crowbar or pickaxe or handaxe with long or short handle 3. How he might have removed the waste material reaching to depth of 2 metre. 4. When the carver might have started to scoop horizontally for cave or chamber.
Navhind Times on the Web
by M S Deshpande
The discovery of chamber burials, a megalithic site at Valant and at Chikhali in Marmugao taluka of South Goa district has once again confirmed the existence of human habitation on the west coast in Goa since prehistoric times. Earlier to this, discovery of the late stone age sites, microlithic tool sites as well as discovery of early stone age handaxe had helped in building the past of Goa. There are periods of darkness and finding of the site of chamber burial will definitely help to make the picture clear.
Man developed economically a pastoral hunting-cum-agricultural society. They stayed together in thatched huts nearby in neolithic and chalcolithic period, but in chalcolithic period man was aware about the use of metal such as copper, iron etc. During chalcolithic period man had made progress in material life and same is reflected in furnishing the burial of their deceased kin.
The finding of megalithic sites in South India help us in defining its date and its culture etc. Megalithic may be described as a monuments (in India sepulchral) constructed with dressed or undressed stones usually of a large size and related with some burial practices.
As stated by Mr Dilip Chakrabarti that “it is nothing more than a burial style that emerged in the context of the neolithic chalcolithic of the distribution area and formed part of its cultural milieu for a long time”. Generally it is associated with iron but there is also a possibility of its beginning in the pre-iron stage. Megaliths is nothing but the feeling, affection, love or his attachment expressed by kin of the deceased while furnishing the burial.
The Britishers after establishing their hold over India took keen interest in studying the past of this great nation. The scholars had discovered number of mesolithic sites including that of Kerala.
The underground cave (man made) found at Chikhali and at Valant is nothing but a chamber burials of megalithic period. The chamber burial cave is scooped in a soft laterite with intention to deposit funerary remains in Kerla as stated by Dr B K Gururajrao. These caves consists of an open cell roughly rectangular or square cut vertically down the rock and provided with flight of steps for decent on the floor.
On one of the vertical faces of the well is caved an extension usually a little above the floor leading to a chamber semicircular, circular or roughly rectangular in shape sometimes these have recessed facade. The chamber are normally provided with bed or a bench on two are three side. Inside the chamber on the bed the funerary on skeletal remains or funerary pottery, iron objects were kept before sealing up the chamber entrance.
An another type of cave with hood stone and hat stone. Allied with these rock caves but of similar form are the cave with hood stone or hat stone, are also called a Kudaikallu in Kerla consists of a dome shaped dressed laterite block covering an underground pit cut into the natural laterite and provided with a stairway. This also covers an underground burial pit containing funerary urn and other grove furnishing, unlike rock cave there is no chamber apart from this.
Another type of chamber burial found in Kerla is exactly similar to that of found in Marmugao taluka, where in the chamber burial and bench or bed is provided at one or two sides of cave to keep funerary urn and other objects.
The chamber burial or underground cave burial found at Valant and at Chikhali are located on the slopes of a hill. These chamber burials are scooped in the laterite below the ground and approach to this cave is circular pipe or well like scooped vertically down and it measures 60 cm in diameter. The entrance or mouth of this well is closed hey keeping dressed laterite block of 70 x 25 cm in size. After entering in it and after crossing 1 metre laterite one decent in the cave. The cave measures either 1.80 x 1.80 cm or 2.60 x 2.60 cm. All the four underground caves are round in shape and measure either 1.80 or 2.60 mt in diameter.
Funerary remains were traced in one of the cave at Chikhali when it was accidentally discovered in 1964 while removing laterite blocks for construction. Those remains are kept in the state museum. No any remains are traced in other caves as those were already approached by layman after their discovery.
One has to note the technique followed by carver while scooping the approach of just 60 cm diameter wherein there is no space for working, moving on bending to collect the waste material to remove. As the scooping for the cave started by keeping 1 m laterite untouched, so there is every possibility that at first the carver must have scooped the pipe like approach up to the depth of minimum 2.5 metre with intention to obtain working place to scoop for cave by keeping 1 m laterite above untouched.
The answer to the following questions need to understand how cave was scooped. 1. How the carver had scooped the approach up to the depth of 2.5 metre. 2. What tool he might have used to dig? Whether it is crowbar or pickaxe or handaxe with long or short handle 3. How he might have removed the waste material reaching to depth of 2 metre. 4. When the carver might have started to scoop horizontally for cave or chamber.
Navhind Times on the Web