INFOKARA RESEARCH ISSN NO: 1021-9056 A STUDY ON THE STRUCTURAL PATTERNS OF MEGALITHS IN DHARMAPURI AND KRISHNAGIRI DISTRICTS G. Karthick 1, Dr.P.Venkateswaran 2 1 Ph.D Research Scholar, PG & Research Department of History, Govt Arts College For Men-Krishnagiri. 2Assistant Professor, PG & Research Department of History, Govt Arts College For Men- Krishnagiri. 1 [email protected] Abstract— Some systematic studies on the structural Patterns of Megaliths in Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri district reveal certain significant architectural features of the Megalithic monuments. The Megaliths in general may be grouped in to two types one the Primary structure and the other being the Multifaceted type. Each one of these types has certain peculiar architectural characters. Each has variants constituted with few additional features predominantly set-upped outwardly. Here I made an attempt to reveal the structural patterns of Megalithic monuments in Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts. Keywords- Megaliths, Structural patterns, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri. I. INTRODUCTION In Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri district, sites with Megalithic monuments occur both in Iron Age as well as in Early Historic context. With only three Megalithic burials were excavated each on at Mayiladumparai, Vadamalaikunda and Modur amongst more than 5000 monuments existed allover two districts. The number was almost near to nil in terms of excavation. A cist was excavated in Vadamalaikunda and in other two cases cairn circle was involved. With minimum data available from threes excavations it make difficult to differentiate these two categories of monuments, viz., Iron Age Megalithic monuments and Early Historic monuments and the structural characters of the monuments. Moreover Nearly 90% of the Iron Age sites continued in their occupation and got transformed into Early Historic. There is hardly any cultural gap between these two periods. The surface observations made through intensive explorations provided a good picture on the typology of these monuments but fail to reveal hidden nature. The accumulated knowledge obtained through said three excavations in these two districts and particularly from disturbed sites, helped to some extant to understand the subterranean nature of these monuments. The internal chronology of the Megaliths is a difficult problem though the radiocarbon dates are useful for determining the overall-chronological span of the megaliths; on radio carbon dates were available in these two districts. Summarizing the evidence from the research carried out so far, the Megaliths of the study region can be tentatively dated from the end of the second millennium BCE to the beginning of the Christian era. II. MAJOR KINDS OF MEGALITHS Many kinds of burial structures of the Megalithic culture were identified in various explorations. Recent study taking consideration of all available structure revealed by excavations and disturbed structures found in explorations the structures were classified into two major groups with its sub divisions. They are: the Primary or Core or Simple structures and the Multifaceted structures. The multifaceted structures are outward set-ups encircling the simple structures. Generally the outward look of a burial drives it distinctive name. Volume 8 Issue 11 2019 1851 http://infokara.com/ INFOKARA RESEARCH ISSN NO: 1021-9056 I.Primary or Core or Simple Burial Structures Barrow or Pit, Urn, Sarcophagus and cist constitutes the Primary or Core or Simple Burial structures. They are individual and exclusive in nature. From the findings the Primary or Core or Simple burial structures were buried with the body of the dead, bones, burial or memorial objects and other burial objects. The Primary /Core / simple structure usually found beneath the ground level. And they were non- visible commonly disturbed. Whereas the Multifaceted structures like Dolmen, Dolmenoid cist, Cairn circle, Cairn heap, Menhir, Anthromorphic have risen upon any one of the primary burial structures, visible above the ground level. Most of upper structures form the support and decorative architecture. Excluding the Anthropomorphic all other types are present in Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts. II.Multifaceted Burial structures Dolmen, Dolmenoid cist, Cairn circle, Cairn heap circle and Menhir have risen as a superstructure above the primary burial structures are classified as Multifacedted megalithic burials. In this type, the primary structure act as a central element beneath the ground where super structures have risen, thus forming a Multifaceted burial structure. III. THE STRUCTURES OF PRIMARY BURIAL The structures of primary burials are the Barrow or Pit, Urn, Sarcophagus and Cist. As said earlier they are individual and exclusive in nature. They are found in various measurements the Urn and Sarcophagus were earthen wares; the cist was box like structure arranges by four either natural or dressed stone slabs. The Cist based on their shape they are three types such as slab cist and Dolmen cist. And third being the Dolmenoid Cist. The third one was named by B. Narasimaiah; because of its half buried and half exposed above ground level nature. The Cist structure was constructed by four orthostates or upright stone slab kept in clockwise or anti- clockwise i.e. ‘Svastika pattern’ direction on a floor slab and was enclosed by a cap stone. It is constructed ensuring each slab slightly projecting beyond the length of the other and thus affording a strong bond and also preventing collapse. Usually a porthole noticed at the center or at the top of the eastern orthostate. The ‘slab cist’ was nothing but the cist pattern described above. The slab cist usually refers cist built with dressed orthostates. So far five variants of Cist structure were noticed. They are: 1. Cist with passage’ 2. Transepted cist, 3. Cist with subsidiary cists, 4 Cist with Benches and and 5. Cist with chambers. However the last four structures were not exposed so far in Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts. IV. CIST WITH PASSAGE One passage was constructed in front of the porthole of cist by placing three vertical slabs. Two slabs placed on either side of the porthole at right angle to the eastern orthostate and the third one against these two slabs. In most of the cases they were not raised from the bottom of the pit. The pit was closed by boulders or sand up to the bottom portion of the porthole and a base slab placed in the passage. Then the vertical passage slabs were placed as stated above. V. THE TYPES OF MULTIFACETED STRUCTURES In the Multifaceted structures were made with a combination of primary structures and with additional structures and superstructures using boulder stone and slab stones; which gave them a multifaceted look or a complex structure. 1. Dolmen It was major type of Megalithic burial found in Krishnagiri. There are many variants are identified in Dolmen structure. Their structure varies place to place and with availability of raw materials. Simple Dolmens, Dolmen encircled by single or multiple slab circles, Dolmen with passage types are variants in the tract. Volume 8 Issue 11 2019 1852 http://infokara.com/ INFOKARA RESEARCH ISSN NO: 1021-9056 2. Simple Dolmen Simple Dolmen type was made of four orthostates placed in clockwise or anti-clockwise direction to form a box-like structure similar to a Cist; but placed above the ground level; and arranged with or without a porthole on the east; and covered by a capstone. 3. Dolmen encircled by single or multiple stone or slab circles In the variant the whole of Dolmen structure is encircled by either by stone or by a rectangular slab circle. When the circle is made with stone it is called ‘Dolmen encircled by stone circle’; when the circle is made with slabs it is called slab circle. The number of circles may vary from one to three. When it is more than one circle the outer circle is small in height than the next inner circle. The whole structure looks like a fortification wall. The slab structure is set-up like a wall or stone railing either continuously or at regular intervals or four cardinal points. To avoid any inward or outward collapse of the vertical slabs or orthostates rectangular brick-shaped stone blocks were placed in number of courses in the gap between the slab circles and dolmen covering half the size of the dolmen. 4. Sub - Variant A sub variant in ‘Dolmen with slab circle’ type is found in Mallachandram and Maharajakadai in present Krishnagiri district. In this sub-variant had single or double slabs of the inner circle rose above the height of the dolmen. In each slab circle, slabs with rectangular or flat top and slab with semi-circular top slab always occupy the cardinal points. The slab standing against the eastern orthostate of the dolmen also had round portholes identical to the porthole of the dolmen. Generally this particular kind of dolmen may belong to some important person of the society. These Dolmen are of special types. Around these in specific intervals stone fence or stone wall shaped slab stones will be constructed in circles. They will be like prahara or pragaram in temples. Some stone cist have outer slab stones higher than the inner ones. To prevent these slab stones from falling little rectangle shaped slab stones were arranged on either sides up to half of the height of slab stones. When one such cist is seen as a whole it is look like a fort with a wall or a temple with a pragaram. 5. Dolmen with passage In this type, a passage, an additional architectural feature is noticed in front of the porthole, i.e., on the eastern side in simple dolmen. These passages were developed similar to that of a Cist type placed below the ground level. Generally the passage lies between the dolmen and the circle. 6. Dolmenoid Cist The Dolmenoid cist, the chamber is made with dressed slabs or unhewn stones which are partly buried and partly above ground capped by a single or multiple capstones.