A large number of megalithic hat stones were found from a single site during a recent archaeological salvage excavation conducted by the Kerala State Archaeology Department at Nagaparamba in Kuttippuram village, near Tirunavaya.
Key findings:
Hat stones, popularly called Thoppikkallu in Malayalam, are hemispherical laterite stones used as lid on burial urns during the megalithic period are fond here.
The findings may throw light on the life and culture of people who lived in those parts more than 2,000 years ago.
What are Megaliths?
These were constructed either as burial sites or commemorative(non-sepulchral) memorials
The former are sites with actual burial remains, such as dolmenoid cists(box-shaped stone burial chambers), cairn circles (stone circles with defined peripheries) and capstones (distinctive mushroom-shaped burial chambers found mainly in Kerala).
Non-sepulchral megaliths include memorial sites such as menhirs.
In India, archaeologists trace the majority of the megaliths to the Iron Age(1500 BC to 500 BC).
In India, these are concentrated in the states of Maharashtra(mainly in Vidarbha), Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Tirunavaya
It is the land of ancient Mamankam.
It is situated on the banks of Bharathapuzha river; it is a place of historical importance.
In olden days, Mamankam a grand assembly of rulers was held once in 12 years here.
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