An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c9.s17.1

v1.c9.s17.1

Megaliths in India, particularly in peninsular India, include a variety of sepulchral and commemorative monuments which are either built of large stones, rude or chiselled or else associated with a somewhat homogeneous group of the black-and-red ware [11.15.3] and an equally homogeneous group of iron tools and weapons. By and large they are collective burials in which post-exposure bones of more than one person are found buried. They occur in cemeteries located in waste land often overlooking a tank or a river valley and cultivated fields. However in a number of examples they are neither built of large stones, nor associated with the black-and-red ware and iron implements; nor do they contain post-exposure bones of several persons. Still when single examples are taken one or the other diagnostic trait is present; otherwise the monument is not qualified to be included under the category of megaliths.