The State Archaeology Department, assisted by the Cultural Centre of Vijayawada and Amaravati (CCVA), unearthed some articles and postholes on large stones of the Megalithic / Neolithic period at Neelakantapuram village of Madakasira mandal in Anantapur district on Sunday.
On credible information provided by former APCC president N. Raghuveera Reddy that some remnants of the pre-historic period existed close to his agriculture fields, a team visited the village and found ‘slots’ and ‘postholes’ on a large rock surface close to the fields that were probably used for pitching tents during 3,700 BCE and 3,200 BCE.
State Archaeology Department’s Anantapur Assistant Director Rajitha too accompanied the team and assured people of protecting the sites.
“It was during this period that agriculture had been taken up. Sling balls were used for driving away birds from the crops. The slots close to the pitched tents were used to store the sling balls,” CCVA Chief Executive Officer Emani Sivanagi Reddy told The Hindu.
Human habitation
The team also found several shreds of pottery, which were identical and typical of that era.
“That this site existed during the ‘Iron Age’ was further confirmed from the deposits of iron slag (porous in nature) found there. All this points to the existence of human habitation in the region during the period,” Mr. Sivanagi Reddy added.
A medieval period idol of Mahishasura Mardini (8th century) in black stone, probably by the early Chalukyas, was also found close to the site.
The Mahishasura depicted as a buffalo was distinct of that period. During the later period of the Vijayanagara kings, the depiction was different with a human head attached to it, he explained.
Other idols of 12th century were also found along with a ‘Sivalinga’ and ‘Kalyani’.
Dean, School of History, Culture & Archaeology, Srisailam, P. Chenna Reddy, and CCVA assistant Manjunath were present along with Mr. Raghuveera Reddy.
