Megalithic Burials Site, Sittannavasal
Megalithic burial is a typical mode of disposing the
dead in most part of Tamilnadu in the past. Some suggest the period 3rd
century BC to 1st century AD is considered to be when this was practiced. It
may be remembered that this period is also the period of Sangam. Loosely called
‘dolmans’, these are stone-capped burial monuments with chambers and similar
interment arrangements in stone. These monuments are found in many places in
Tamilnadu like the districts of Chengalpattu, Vellore, Pudukkottai, Ramanathapuram,
Salem, Coimbatore and Tirunelveli.
Locally it is known as Pandava kuzhi (‘pits of Pandavas’),
mandavar kuzhi (‘pits of the dead’), kurangup pattadai, or kurangup pattarai
(‘monkey’s workshop’) and mudu makkalthaazhi (‘burial pots of the old people’).
The last name is the most widely used.
Burial Customs in Sangam Literature
There are mentions about the various burial customs like
urn burial in the Sangam literature. Manimekhalai, one of the twin epics of the
post Sangam period, enumerates classes practising different modes of disposing
of the dead, namely, those who cremate (Suduvor), those who simply expose the
body and leave it to decay (Iduvor), those who bury the dead in deep graves
(Thodukuzhipaduppor), those who entomb the dead in strong low vaults
(Thaazhvayin adaippor) and, those who inter them in urns and cover them up
(Tazhiyir kavippor) (Manimekhalai).
Though the first mode of cremation came to be adopted under
the influence of Vedic culture, the other methods were also being practiced.
Exposing the dead body to natural decay was in vogue till recent times. Burial
is common even today in Tamilnadu.
The Pudukkottai district was a home of the pre historic man.
A very large number of megalithic burial sites have been found in the district,
generally near watercourses. One can see a number of burial sites even today in
several places like Ambur Patti, Ammachatram, Annavasal, Kizhaiyur, Melur,
Mootamapatti, Narangianpatti, Perungalur, Peyal, Poyyamani, Puttambur, Sathyamangalam,
Sengalur, Sittannavasal , Tayinippatti, Tekkattur, Tiruppur, Vadaguppatti,
Vattanakuruchi and Vilappatti. They are easily identifiable by the appearance
of a circle of laterite or granite stones and small boulders on the surface of
the spot.
A few burial sites, belonging to the 1st century BC –
1st century AD, have been excavated, revealing pottery and ornaments, some of which
are exhibited in the Government Museum at Pudukkottai.
General Description of the Burial Sites
Excavations have revealed three types of burials in Pudukkottai
region. They are
(1) Grave Burials
(2) Urn burials
(3) Burials in deep stone chambers formed of stone slabs
(cists).
Grave Burials:
This mode of burial is simple, where the body interred in
a horizontal posture. Some experts feel that this was adopted by the poor.
There is another view that women were buried in this way and men were normally
buried in urns. The finding of urn burials side by side with these sites might
have contributed to this view.
Urn Burials:
The urns were earthen pots, large enough for a man in a sitting
posture. They varied in size, the largest measuring 4 feet in height and 3 feet
6 inches in diameter. P. T. Srinivasa Ayyangar, who was among the people who did
excavations here, writes: ‘The dead men were placed in a sitting posture in an
earthenware pot. The pot was then let into a pit and half filled with sand and
rice, and other grains on a tray were placed before the dead man. His stone
tools were also inserted at the sides of the pot.
The foodstuff and the tools were no doubt, intended for
the use of the dead man in his post mortem life, for they believed in life of
the spirit of men after death. Then more sand was poured into the pot till it
was full and the pot covered with an earthenware lid. The pit was then filled
in and a stone slab placed on it. Then more sand was poured and another stone
slab, this time very large and oval in shape, was placed above the grave and
upright stone about a cubit long planted all round the slab.
Most urns did not contain any ornaments, but some did, such
as bracelets made of bronze or chalk shells, nose-rings, and cornelian and
glass beads bored with a hole. Sometimes elegant bronze vessels were found. In
some places iron swords, daggers, spear heads and arrow heads with spiked or
hollow handles, valaris, and other weapons were found buried round the urns
with their point downwards. Less usually similar but smaller and more elegant
weapons were found inside the urns themselves.
The urns generally contained human bones, and two in the
Pulvayal forest contained complete skeletons, seated and holding short swords
in their right hands, while the left arm rested on the thighs. In one of the
Pulvayal urns was found a sword 18 inches long with human teeth adhering to the
blade which bore embossed decorations near the handle.
Burials
in subterranean chambers formed of stone slabs (cists):
A number of burials of this type have been excavated.
The main burial chamber, as large as 8 feet square and 7 feet deep, was placed
at about 2 to 3 feet below floor level. In addition were elaborate smaller
chambers and partitions, and access between chambers in the form of man-holes.
The slabs that enclose the cists project to a height of two to three feet above
the ground. All finds of any importance were found at a depth of about four to
five feet below the ground level and only in the two partitions of the main
chamber. Surprisingly no traces of human bones were found, but only some baked
earthenware utensils and iron weapons of different sorts. Among the findings
were corroded weapons, saucer like iron vessel about 7 ½ diameter, thin bronze
plates and a stone ball, evidently a missile.
Megalithic Burial Sites in Sittannavasal
There are extensive Megalithic burial sites near the
hillock in the Village. It contain both cist and urn burials. The visitors are
suggested to visit these burial sites while they are returning from the visit
to the other monuments. One can locate them on both the sides of the road
leading from the monuments to the main road, after about 100 meters from the Ezhadippattam.
More of such burials can be located on the left side of the main road, leading
to Pudukkottai, after about 200 meters from the junction.
Some of these were excavated in 1934-35. Specimens of
garnet, red jasper and rock crystal have been picked up near the foot of the
hill. Pieces of pottery coated inside with molten and coloured glass, and loose
pieces of coloured glass have been found in the fields opposite the hill. These
indicate that in olden times glass making was probably a flourishing industry
in these parts.
