Megalithic-era sarcophagus unearthed in Kerala 

Megalithic-era sarcophagus unearthed in Kerala 

Context

A rare sarcophagus (stone coffin), said to be 2,000-year old from the Iron Age–Megalithic era, was discovered from a rock-cut cave at Viyur village of Kollam, near Koyilandy, in Kozhikode district on Monday

Man or woman

The bone fragments could be of either a man or a woman

  • Carbon dating: They will be sent for carbon dating using accelerator mass spectrometry at the Beta Analytical Laboratory in California

Discovery

Excavation at the site commenced after a hemispherical rock-cut chamber was discovered in a compound while flattening land using an earthmover

  • Dimensions: The cave, with an inside pillar, measuring 1.9 metres in diameter, has a height of 90 centimetres
  • The entrance of the cave was on the eastern side
  • Pottery found: The square-shaped door has equal length of 50 centimetres on all sides. Different types of pottery, mostly four-legged jars and iron implements, were found in the cave

Implication

It confirms that a rich Megalithic culture existed in the region following the discoveries of pre-Iron age civilisation earlier

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