Chengannur: The Archeology Department has confirmed that the Megalithic tombs recently discovered at Puliyoor near here are the rarest of its kind in Kerala and could be as old as 2,500 years. A team led by Pazhassi Raja Museum director K Krishnaraj, who is also Thiruvananthapuram field assistant with the Archeology Department, visited the spot and investigated the area the other day.
The ancient tombs of Megalithic Age were spotted at Karimanikkathu Mala on the northern side of Chengannur block panchayat by Rajeev Puliyoor, a folklore researcher and teacher of BEd College, Elanthoor.
According to Krishnaraj, the Megalithic burial monument falls under the stone circle category and is vividly distinct in its geometric structure, size and the way it has been laid. This discovery sheds light to the fact that Puliyoor did play a prominent place in the Iron Age phase of Kerala history. The monument is believed to be at least 2,500 years old.
Though the tombstone can be classified as a variety of 'menhir', it essential to subject the structure to a detailed examination, said Krishnaraj. It has been found that some standing stones are missing in between, which when filled would assume the shape of circle stone structure. Circle stones of this big size are rarely found in Kerala. The whole formation assumes a triangular shape with the distance between the stones 6.35 m, their perpendicular height 6.35 m and hypotenuse 8.45 m. If the missing liths are filled to complete a circular pattern the measurement will again be 6.35 m.
The archeologists are not ready to rule out the presence of ancient monumental remains underneath the central portion of the circle. The authorities are planning to conduct carbon dating at the spot with the permission of the land owner and will also explore the possibility of unearthing weapons.
