Megalithic-era cave discovered in Dakshina Kannada

Mangaluru: A unique type of rock-cut cave from the megalithic period (800 BC to 500 BC) has been found at a government cashew plantation in Dakshina Kannada district.

A team led by T Murugeshi, associate professor and head of the department of history and archaeology, MSRS College at Shirva in Udupi district, made the discovery at the plantation located in Aturu-Kundaje near Ramakunja of Kadaba taluk, a release here said.

This is probably the first rock engraving dating back to the megalithic period found in Dakshina Kannada district, Murugeshi said in the release. Megalithic culture was dominant in south India and known for its intricate burial patterns. "Usually, Megalithic burial sites are marked by stone circles and menhirs. But in the cave found near Ramakunja, a sepulchre is marked by a circle or zero. It brings up interesting questions like did the Megalithic people know about zero?" he said.

No big articles were found inside the cave but at its centre, an altar-like pit has been noticed while small pieces of red, black, and red pottery were found scattered in the cave, the professor said, adding that the cave was most probably robbed by some locals.

In the past, the south-west coast of Karnataka and Kerala had recorded a very special type of Megalithic-like rock-cut caves, scooped out in the laterite earth. "Normally, a 2.5 ft or 3 ft circular opening in the centre is cut into the laterite soil about a metre deep and the bottom is cut into a hemispherical shape.

These types of rock-cut caves are common in south-west coast of Karnataka. A small variation is found in Kerala, with side openings in the sub-surface, but central opening was common in both the cases," he said. Murugeshi said a team of students worked for two days in finding details from the cave.