User:Marcus334/Neolithic burials in Ambasamudram

Neolithic burials in Ambasamudram have been discovered by recent archeological excavations in South India. Archeologists have found Neolithic burial sites from a late stone age civilization in the Sivasailam forest area ofAmbasamudram Taluk and in hillocks adjacent to the Western Ghats along the basin of the Karunai River (Ghadana river) in Tirunelveli District, Tamil Nadu. These findings may revolutionise theories about ancient settlers and their culture in Tamil Nadu”

Background
Tirunelveli district, location of the perennial Thamirabarani River and its tributaries, was a favourable spot for human settlement in Stone age periods. Archaeological excavations in 1899 byAlexander Rea and in 2004 by the Archaeological Survey of Indiaat Adichanallur hamlet in the Tamirabharani basin, plus excavations at the ancient port of Korkai, demonstrate that megalithic period or earlier periods of civilization had established communities in this district.

In Adichanallur, 24 km from Tirunelveli 169 clay burial urnscontaining human skulls, skeletons and bones, plus husks and grains of rice, charred rice and Neolithic celts, gave evidence confirming them to be of the Neolithic period, 3800 years ago. The ASI archaeologists have proposed that the script used at that site is "very rudimentary" Tamil Brahmi. Adichanallur has been announced as an archaeological site for further excavation and studies. The Aditchanallur burial urns confirmed the  burial methodology  mentioned in a sangam period Tamil literature ‘Manimekalai,' one of the twin epics of post-sangam period. ‘Manimekalai' enumerates different ways of disposing of the dead, namely, cremation (suduvor),  simply exposing the body and leaving it to decay (Iduvar),  entombing the dead in strong low vaults (Thaazhvayin-adaippor) and putting bodies in urns and burying them (Tazhiyir-kavippor).

Also in 2004, Six Neolithic burial urns were discovered by farmers close to the village of Kuvalakarai in the Tirunelveli district. The urns, known in Tamil as “mudhumakkal thaazhi” (large pots for the old) added to the evidence that urn burial was the predominant mode of internment in the region.

It was common for burial urns to contain smaller earthen pots of grain and food, put there when the dead were interred. This practice showed a strong belief in life after death because neolithic man believed in the spirit surviving a man’s death. Urn burials' distinguishing feature is the interment of a big urn in a pit just big enough to receive the big urn. These large urns vary in size up to 172 cm in height and 272 cm circumference at the belly. Other urn burial sites in the district include Courtallam, Valiankottai hills and Korkai.

Ambasamudram excavations
Excavations were conducted by A.J.A. Ranjitsingh, Head, Department of Advanced Zoology and Biotechnology,Sri Paramakalyani College, Alwarkurichi and his team comprising scholars K.R. Narayanan, M.R. Sudhakaran and A. Murugan. Dr. Ranjitsingh told The Hindu that “The findings may revolutionise theories about ancient settlers and the origin of ancient culture in Tamil Nadu”.

Burial sites
Dr. Ranjitsingh said that “Burial urns were found in the hillocks of - Meenakshipuram zone and the Karunai river basin, at,,,,, Valluthoor andKizha Ambur. Also, a few other places like], and Rengasamudram, 5 km away from the river basin, provide valuable information on early human settlement."

Kakanallur is a major site, where burial urns are found in several acres of land inside the village and on the northern banks of the Karunai river." There is an  extensive area of megalithic burial sites on the northern bank of Karunai river in the Kakanallur area. These burial sites are in rocky terrains with intermittent soft soils. The entire Kakanallur area has many burial urns in the fields and in the hills adjacent to the river.

The location of burial urns on this hilly and rocky terrain and rock provides usefull information for future analysis as it may indicate the migratory routes of people through the hills before settling along the river basins. The presence of an urn containing the remains of the buried persons can be located by stones put in circular formation amidst which perennial shrub Leucas sp. (Thumbai) is seen, as this flower is referred on several occasions in the ‘sangam' literatures. Below these stone circles The burial urns located in the hillocks are 1 m - 2 m below the surface.

Ancient burial urns
The presence of several megalithic burial sites and broken pieces of clay wares and burial urns was noticed. These urns are different from clay storage chambers called Kuthir used to store more than 300 kg of paddy rice in the houses of villagers. The archeologists' mission is to understand the technology adopted by megalithic potters to produce fine quality clay utensils with beautiful red and black colour and to understand the technique of creating mega size burial urns.

The ellipsoid shaped burial urns found in these excavations have measurements of: 2 feet – 4.6 feet high; depth:80 cm; mouth diameter: 150 cm; capacity: 160 l, with dotted and lined decoration on the neck of the pot.

In some locations the presence of mini-pots (kollikudam) has been noticed. Variation in the number of small pots in different locations may indicate the number of sons who had performed the last rites of the buried person. In some large urns potsherds of small urns are found inside. Many megalithic smaller bowls in red and black colour were seen inside the urns. The lids in the pots and bowls are airtight and very precisely designed to cover the opening. Pottery Researchers are curious about the thinness of the potsherds with multi-colours, as no present day potters can do this type of work without mould and instruments.

The neolithic potters used some sharp instruments to make lines and markings in the neck of the burial urns that showed their interest in art. So far, there is no writing or scribbling seen in this area. This make us to think that the people who lived in this area may predate the Brahmi script developmental age or they may have been illiterate. As the burial urns collected in Aditchanallur showed Brahmi script, the people who lived in the Karunai river basin may be earlier.

Some of the urns contained bones, skull bones, rib bones, femur bones, jaw bones with intact teeth and remains of other bones. “These remains of the bones and molar teeth are to be studied with radiocarbon dating and DNA analysis to research the time period and race of the people who were buried,"