Human remains dating to 1000 BC were found by researchers in the recently discovered chamber tombs by the Godvari river in the area between Tadwai to Bhadrachalam, East India.

Researchers have identified the chamber tombs as secondary burial chambers, where skeletons were buried after the flesh of the individuals was gone. The burials date to between 1000 BC and 2nd century AD. According to the experts these megalithic burials are the most important monuments in Telangana state and are found in hundreds of villages. Chamber tombs are built on hillocks and also referred to as cromlechs and dolmens. They are constructed with dressed slabs and look like a chamber with four or more orthostats – slabs on three sides with an opening on one side and a huge rectangular capstone. Capstones are quite heavy, some of them are 4 metres by 4 metres and 40 to 50-centimetre thick. The entrance to most dolmens is at the centre. Researchers also found graffiti marks, cruciforms, cruciforms depicting male and female breasts, and anthropomorphic figures on some stones. Inside some chambers, stone sarcophagi are located with graffiti marks such as arrow and trident marks like “ma” in Brahmi script of 2nd century BC. In one chamber tomb, six sarcophagi were found which indicates that it was a family burial. According to the archaeologists the construction of these huge chamber tombs with processed stones and carvings of sculptures representing the human form indicate that the megalithic community were culturally advanced and they had sophisticated metal implements and knowledge of geometry to cut huge stones to the required sizes.

(after Deccan Chronicle)