[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Studies](https://indike.org/pramana/ins) › [Reference works](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference) › [An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.ghosh-1989) › v1.c9.s17.81 # An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c9.s17.81 An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c9.s17.81 - **Language:** English ### [v1.c9.s17.81](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.ghosh-1989.v1.c9.s17.81) Thus of all the funerary monuments the cist and its variants stand out as one of the basic features of the megalithic culture, the other two elements being the use of iron and the black-and-red ware. The megalithbuilders were no doubt a hybrid population but a distinctive racial strain, first noticed in the square cists at BRAHMAGIRI, could be discerned. Designated as the Scytho-Iranian, they were medium-statured, flat-nosed, brachy-mesocephalic people of robust constitution (Sarkar, 1972). The cists of VIRABOYINAKUNTA in the Yelleswaram valley (Gupta \*et al.\*, 1962) revealed the same people. Significantly this type was also found in the Neolithic culture at PIKLIHAL, thereby indicating an earlier contact. The prevalence of post-excarnation burial in the upper stratum of the Neolithic cemetery at NAGARJUNAKONDA also points to the same conclusion. Nonetheless in the rectangular cists and pit-circles at the temple site at YELLESWARAM were found both brachycephalic and long-headed types (Sarkar, 1972). The skull recovered from a cist at Site 44 of NAGARJUNAKONDA was also brachycranial (Gupta \*et al.\*, 1970), a type also found at RAIGIR. But the cists at RAIGIR produced mainly the remains of a dolichomesocephalic people (Sarkar, 1972). Furthermore the autochthonous Australoid element was also present at YELLESWARAM and RAIGIR. All this shows that the megalith builders were a heterogeneous population in which the strongest intrusive element appears to be a brachy-mesocephalic people, who might have introduced the use of iron and the characteristic black-and-red ware. - [Previous: v1.c9.s17.80](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.ghosh-1989.v1.c9.s17.80) - [Next: v1.c9.s17.82](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.ghosh-1989.v1.c9.s17.82) - [Up: v1.c9.s17](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.ghosh-1989.v1.c9.s17) ## Linked texts (2) - [Nāgārjunakoṇḍa](https://indike.org/pramana/inp.site.nagarjunakonda) - [Raigīr](https://indike.org/pramana/inp.site.raigir) --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.ghosh-1989.v1.c9.s17.81](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.ghosh-1989.v1.c9.s17.81) · Pramāṇa