Knowledge Nugget | From burials to upside down pots: What Virli Khandar excavation reveals

Key Takeaways:

1. The site, located in Pauni tehsil of Bhandara district, in Maharashtra is currently being excavated under archaeologist and Head of Department of Ancient Indian History, Culture, and Archaeology, RTMNU, Dr Prabash Sahu.

2. According to Professor Sahu, the site was selected for three reasons, including its unique burial pattern. “We have stone circles and within them menhirs, making it a composite megalithic structure — a combination of two burial types,” he said.

3. In contrast, nearby sites such as Pimpalgaon Nipani and Tirota Kheri feature primarily dolmen burials, making Virli Khandar distinct.

4. So far, researchers have documented 69 megalithic burials using drone mapping and field surveys. Of these, four have been selected for excavation, including two stone circles with menhir in periphery and boulders, and two with only boulder circles.

According to archaeologist Dr Prabash Sahu, the site was selected for three reasons, including its unique burial pattern. (Express photo)

5. Significant artifacts have been recovered from one of the burials, including copper objects such as a necklace, iron implements like axes, chisels, ladles and arrowheads, semi-precious stone beads, notably etched carnelian beads, and a gold earring. Fragmentary bone remains have also been recovered alongside these finds.

6. One of the most striking discoveries is a unique cluster of pottery, not previously reported in the Vidarbha region. In one burial, nearly 50 pots were found arranged systematically, with larger bowls covered by inverted bowls.

In one burial, nearly 50 pots were found arranged systematically, with larger bowls covered by inverted bowls. (Express photo)

7. At least 23 such pairs – amounting to 46 pots – were documented in a single cluster, along with additional red and black-and-red ware pots and associated iron objects.

8. Sahu noted another peculiar feature: almost all pots, including larger vessels, were placed in an inverted position, with one pot covered by another from above.

9. “None of the pots were found upright. It appears they were deliberately placed upside down within the burial context,” he said. The exact reason for this arrangement is yet to be established and will be studied further.

10. The pots were carefully placed over a layer of black cotton soil laid above the natural lateritic (murum) base. The sticky nature of this soil helped stabilise the vessels, keeping them largely in position despite breakage caused by the weight of overlying soil.

11. In another significant find, charcoal remains discovered at the site are expected to help determine its age through Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) dating. Preliminary observations suggest the site could be at least 2,500 years old.

What are menhirs?

1. A menhir is a standing or an upright stone, which is usually tapered at the top. It is man-made, in that it is sculpted and placed by humans, and usually quite large.

2. The largest surviving menhir, the Grand Menhir Brisé or the Great Broken Menhir in Brittany, France, once stood at 20.6 m tall.

3. The term ‘menhir’ is derived from the Brittonic “maen” meaning “stone”, and “hîr” meaning “long”, and entered the archaeological lexicon in the late 18th century. It was first used by French military officer and Celticist antiquarian Théophile Corret de la Tour d’Auvergne.

4. Menhirs can either be found alone, or as a part of a larger complex of prehistoric megaliths, simply, large stone structures. While the exact purpose of many megalithic sites is debated, they likely served ceremonial functions. Some were markers of graves, while others might have served some astronomical purposes.

BEYOND THE NUGGET: Mudumal Megalithic Menhirs

1. The Mudumal Megalithic Menhirs in Telangana’s Narayanpet district, dating back approximately 3,500 to 4,000 years, have been added to a tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites from India.

Telangana has only one Unesco World Heritage Site at Ramappa temple, inscribed in 2021, and now the Mudumal menhirs is one step closer to achieving a second inscription for the state. (Credits: Special Arrangement/KP Rao)

2. According to Professor K P Rao of the University of Hyderabad, the Mudumal menhirs, as old as 3,500 years, probably constitute the largest megalithic-era burial site in South India.

3. The Mudumal site has been described as a “megalithic astronomical observatory” by the UNESCO dossier. “… Some menhirs are aligned with the rising and setting sun during the summer and winter solstices, suggesting their use as an ancient observatory,” the dossier says. Today, the Mudumal menhirs are closely associated with local legend, with “one particular menhir being worshipped as Goddess Yellamma”.

Post Read Question

Consider the following pairs: (UPSC CSE 2021)

(Historical Place) (Well-known for)

1. Burzahom : Rock-cut shrines

2. Chandraketugarh : Terracotta art

3. Ganeshwar : Copper artefacts

Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

(a) 1 only

(b) 1 and 2 only

(c) 3 only

(d) 2 and 3 only

(Sources: 2,500-year-old burial site with bizarre ‘upside-down’ pots discovered in Maharashtra’s Bhandara, Menhir, Telangana’s Mudumal Megalithic Menhirs make it to tentative Unesco heritage list from India)

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