Virli Khandar Excavation

Why in News?

Recent excavation at a megalithic site in Virli Khandar has revealed distinctive burial architecture, rare artefacts and unusual pottery arrangements in Vidarbha.

• Virli Khandar – It is a 2,500-year-old megalithic burial site that was first reported in 2008.
• Location – Pauni tehsil of Bhandara district, in Maharashtra.
• Key Findings
• Distinct Burial Patterns – Composite Megalithic Structure, stone circles with menhirs (upright stones) inside, forming a composite megalithic structure.
• Different from nearby sites (Pimpalgaon Nipani, Tirota Kheri), which mainly feature dolmen burials.
• Unique Pottery Arrangement – The pots were found inverted (upside down) and arranged systematically, with larger bowls covered by smaller ones.
• Soil Engineering – The pots were carefully placed on a layer of black cotton soil laid over a natural lateritic (murum) base; the soil's sticky nature likely helped stabilise the vessels against the weight of the earth above them
• Significant artifacts –
  • Copper objects, such as a necklace
  • Iron implements like axes, chisels, ladles and arrowheads,
  • Semi-precious stone beads, notably etched carnelian beads,
  • A gold earring
  • Fragmentary bone remains.
• Timeline – The preliminary observations date the site to roughly 500 BCE (2,500 years ago), radiocarbon dating of charcoal remains suggests a broader cultural sequence ranging from 1000 BCE to 300 CE.

Menhirs

• Menhirs – It is a large, man-made standing stone, typically sculpted into a tapered shape at the top and intentionally erected by humans as a monumental landmark.
• It can either be found alone or as a part of a larger complex of prehistoric megaliths, simply large stone structures.
• Largest Surviving Menhir – The Grand Menhir Brisé or the Great Broken Menhir in Brittany, France, once stood at 20.6 m tall.
• Tallest surviving menhir in India – Nartiang Monoliths garden in the West Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya (Approx 8m).

Reference

Indian Express | 2,500-year-old burial site discovered in Maharashtra