Settlement Sites of the Megalithic Communities: Myth and Reality

Of the many ‘myths’ prevalent in certain quarters of archaeologists is the notion of absence of ‘identifiable habitational remains’ of Megalithic communities of

South Asia. Attached with this notion is another ‘myth’ of ‘flimsy deposits’ in habitational layers of Megalithic people, wherever there is evidence of dwelling sites. A comprehensive and critical analysis of the excavated material of the Megalithic communities from several zones shows that there are undeniable similarities between the material of habitation and burial sites, and wherever the cultural deposit of Megalithic communities is noticed, the average thicknes of the deposit ranges between 1.5 and 2.5 m. However, wherever there is real evidence for the ‘thinness’ of occupational deposit and ‘sporadicity’ of dwelling sites, those need to be understood in terms of local site formation and postdepositional processes as also the locational advantages or stresses operative in the particular eco-zones.

Figure 6 Rock-cut chamber burial. Kattakampal (Thrissur district, Kerala, India). Courtesy: Archaeological Survey of India.

Figure 5 Rock-cut chamber burial. Umichipoyil (Kasaragod district, Kerala, India). Courtesy: Deccan College Postgraduate and Research Institute.