Megalithic Period:

Que. Will it be proper to consider Megaliths to represent a single, homogenous or contemporaneous culture? What kind of material life and cultural system is revealed in megalithic culture? [UPSC CSE-2021]

(1) Approach:

(2) Explain the megalithic culture.

(3) Explain Whether Megaliths represent a single, homogenous or contemporaneous culture.

(4) Mention the Material Life and Cultural System during Megalithic Culture.

(5) Conclude by supporting the given statement.

Introduction:

A megalith is a stone which is larger in size and has been used to construct a monument or a structure. The monument or the structure is constructed either alone or together with other stones. ‘Megalithic’ has been used to describe stone structures built by people from many parts of the world living in many different times. The construction of this type of structures took place mainly in the Neolithic and continued into the Chalcolithic Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age.

Whether Megaliths to Represent a Single, Homogenous or Contemporaneous Culture:

(1) Megaliths once used to be considered the dominant feature of a homogeneous, independent and distinct culture but such a view is no longer accepted in view of the significant variations in associated cultural remains, it is necessary to use the plural term megalithic cultures rather than the singular megalithic culture.

(2) According to recent studies, it is obvious that these Megalithic Complexes are not exclusive to each other. Some common elements can be traced among the cultures. Similarities and dissimilarities of ceramic fabrics and typology, presence and absence of iron, and concentration or otherwise of certain megalithic types in certain regions are all problems for which widely diverging views are available.

(3) Interestingly, unlike in the South, the Allahabad megaliths reflect the cultural change. The basic types- cairns, stone circles and cists remain the same, but the grave goods consist instead of microliths, iron objects like sickle, adze, arrowhead and dagger. There was a significant variation in the livelihood pattern between the two zones.

(4) Iron had replaced stone and copper and, as the evidence from Kotia in Allahabad shows, these were made locally by iron-smiths.

(5) On the opposite bank of the River Belan at Koldihwa and Khajuri megaliths belonging to chalcolithic cultures were found, lying between cultures of Varanasi and Kotia of Allahabad. In the former iron is absent, and microliths are scarce while in the latter fragments of iron are associated with microliths. These types of megalithic cultures have also been observed in Mirzapur and Banda districts.

(6) Not all megalithic sites are contemporaneous; some are as early as c.1300 BCE, while others are as late as the early centuries CE. A radiocarbon dating using C-14 isotope for the terminal date of the megaliths at Adichanallur places it as late as the 12th century CE.

(7) Habitation sites are rarely found in association with the megaliths, excepting at Maski, Tekalghat, Paiyampalli and a few others. Recently, a large habitation site along with scores of stone circles has been discovered at Naikund near Nagpur in Maharashtra.

Material Life and Cultural System during Megalithic Culture:

(1) Burial Rituals: In the Vidarbha region, different burial traditions could indicate different social and ethnic groups, but so far no fixed regional conventions regarding orientation of the bodies or the graves have been observed. The burials vary from total to only fractional. Horses were buried with the dead, possibly after sacrifice, and this may have been a local ethnic tradition.

(2) Economic Activities: The megalithic cultures were generally associated with settled agricultural communities, indicating a shift from nomadic to more settled lifestyles. This suggests advancements in agriculture and the establishment of more permanent settlements.

(3) Cultural Exchange: The presence of similar megalithic structures across different regions suggests some degree of cultural exchange and communication among various communities. This exchange might have been facilitated by trade networks and social interactions.

(4) Religious beliefs and Practices: The elaborate architecture of their graves, the grave goods and other metal and stone objects throw light on the religious beliefs of megalithic people. The megalithic people had constructed monuments with great effort and devotion. They believed that the dead had a life after death and the living had to provide them with their necessities. Animism is reflected by terracotta figurines of animals decorated with garlands and ornaments.

(5) Social Organization: It appears that communities may have comprised different professional groups, such as smiths, warriors, goldsmiths, agriculturists and carpenters. This may be deduced from the types of grave goods offered.

(6) Ethnic Affinity and Origins: The origin of Megalithic culture in India is not clear. No satisfactory answer is yet found. Some early European scholars put forward a view that the builders were Celts or Scythians. Rivett-Carnac related them to Central Asian tribes. Other scholars tried to relate them to the Dravidians. Practice of erection of megaliths are still found among some tribes in India in the southern, central, eastern and north-eastern parts of the country. The skeletal remains found especially from Brahmagiri, Yeleswaram and Adichanallur show that people were of a mixed racial type. According to Sarkar (1960), the Brahmagiri skeletal remains were probably of Scythians or Iranian stock. Gupta and Dutta (1962) concluded that a similar trend is noticed for Yeleswaram remains, but Adichanallur skull shows different affinities.

Conclusion:

Prehistoric Megaliths or large stone constructions dating before the advent of written history are found in huge numbers in all parts of India. The monuments are usually found in granitic areas. We still do not know exactly who the megalithic people were, whether they represent an immigrant group, or a local development.

Megalithic cultures were not a single, homogenous entity but a diverse collection of societies that shared the common feature of constructing megalithic structures. These cultures varied significantly in terms of their material life, cultural practices, beliefs, and societal organization, making it important to study them regionally and contextually to gain a deeper understanding of their unique characteristics.