A team comprising Mr. Gandhirajan, M.V. Ganesh, K. Narendran, photographer Thanigai Mani and an Irula tribal person named Chandran made the discovery while returning from a temple festival of the Irula and Baduga tribes in Allimoyar hamlet. The team found 20 collapsed dolmens near Vanchiyur. On venturing further into the forest, it discovered about 100 dolmens near Beruthorapatti. Most of them had been wrecked by humans or elephants.The teams primary interest is documenting rock art.
The dolmens were of three varieties: normal rectangular ones with a capstone; circular ones made of slab-stones meeting at the top to form a roof; and bigger circular dolmens, with a diameter of about 6 metres, with unfinished roofs. One of the big dolmens had the two petroglyphs.
Mr.Gandhirajan (in the image)specialises in art history, estimates the age of the dolmens at 2300 to 2500 BC ( Sangam age ).Mr. Gandhirajan, is documenting “rock art in Sangam age environment in Tamil Nadu” under a project sponsored by the Central Institute of Indian Languages.
The entire tamil community is thankful to Mr.Gandhirajan and his team for their extraordinary effort.
PHOTO : THANIGAI MANI
For more details
http://www.thehindu.com/2009/05/24/stories/2009052457142000.htm
