The findings have created excitement in the archaeological fraternity in the state, as iron swords and artefacts from the Megalithic era are rare finds. A team of archaeologists of the State Archaeology Department unearthed the pieces during excavation at Pothuvachery. The sword is 105 cm long, & is said to be 2,500 years old. The recovery of the implements revealed the technological advancement of the Megalithic people.
Megaliths refer to large stone structures that were constructed either as burial sites or as commemorative sites. These structures are often quite old, dating back many thousands of years, and span numerous cultures worldwide.
Some megaliths are thought to be connected through different cultures, but it may be possible that all megalithic monuments have a common origin in prehistoric times.
The burial sites are the sites with actual burial remains, such as dolmenoid cists (box-shaped stone burial chambers), cairn circles (stone circles with defined peripheries), and capstones (distinctive mushroom-shaped burial chambers found mainly in Kerala).
Natural caves were the earliest caves used by local inhabitants. There are many different types of natural caves and there are many differences in their occurrence, position, form, and structure. Different natural caves are associated with different religions and religious activities.
As manifested by archaeological evidence, the Mesolithic period (c. 6000 BC) marked the first use and modifications of the early caves. Experts have discovered that humans used and occupied the caves as early as during the Paleolithic age, with a small cluster of artifacts found dating back to 1,000 years ago from Mesolithic period.
The overhanging rocks embellished with petroglyphs or the rock-cut designs that were created by carving, chiselling and abrading part of rock surfaces forms the early instances of such rock caves.
The Bhimbetka rock shelters inside the tiger reserve ‘Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary’ exemplifies the settlement of human life in these rock shelters during the Stone Age in India.
In the beginning, remarkable Buddhist and Jain rock-cut structures were excavated by the Buddhist monks for prayer and residence purposes. The best example of this is Chaityas (prayer halls) and Viharas (monasteries).
