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A number of megalithic sites are known from the region of Panch Parganas of Ranchi and Khunti districts of Jharkhand. The salient feature of the megalithic landscape is the continuity of tradition among the Munda people. This paper is a brief report of exploration conducted in the month of January 2016 to document megalithic sites with living tradition prevalent among the Mundas in the study area and its adjoining regions to find out variations in their typologies, locations and megalith orientations.
The disposal of death is one of the most ancient traditions in human past traced back right from the prehistoric times. By the time, with the idea of ancestor worship it has been transformed into more sophisticated burial custom and man began to erect monuments as memorials. Megalithic phase in India is largely associated with Early Iron Age shows distinct variety of burial traditions and rituals associated with them. In India, the heritage of Megalithic burials lies in its living traditions followed by the present tribal and ethnic communities in various parts of the country. In Jharkhand, many tribal communities are still practices Megalithism. This particular paper is concerned with the Megalithic tradition followed by the Munda community of Jharkhand. The present work is a case study of the Living Megalithic Traditions among the Munda community of a particular village in Ranchi District of Jharkhand, lies in Chotanagpur Plateau. It is a little attempt to study the burial practices of the community in comparison to their ancestral society, the other Munda communities in the region as well as other contemporary tribal groups within a region.
Journal of Neolithic Archaeology, 2019
The state of Odisha is one of the most important regions for tribal groups and we fnd 62 major types of ethnic communities belonging to different language families. Although numbers of scholars have widely reported on different aspects of tribal religion, beliefs, practices and a few kinds of literature give some information about the living megalithic tradition, we do not have adequate data on their distribution pattern in this region. However, the present work is based on the recent work on the living megalithic tradition of Munda communities. Up to now, many papers have been published on the Mundas but no one has reflected on the living megalithic tradition. Finally, the paper, still at its preliminary stage, gives us some information about their distribution and some other information related to the funeral rituals and megalithic tradition
Heritage, 2018
Last three decades of systematic archaeological investigations conducted in the middle Mahanadi valley region of Odisha brought to light different aspects of human behaviour right from the Palaeolithic down to the early medieval period. One of such important aspects is the Megalithic tradition. The evidence for Megalithism in the present study area is recorded from both archaeological and ethnographic context. However, in comparison to the ethnographic data very few information is available on Megaliths in different archaeological literatures. Therefore, the authors carried out explorations during last three field seasons in the middle Mahanadi valley and the present paper outlines the results of the preliminary investigations.
Iron age in India: some more thoughts, 2021
The paper is concerned with megalithic culture in Jharkhand, its continuity and changing aspects
Heritage, 2018
Last few years' research in the state of Odisha has brought to light several megalithic sites of ethnic community and most of them belong to Austro-Asiatic group of family. Their megalithic structure is as that of other ethnic communities that follow megalithism in the present day in central eastern part of India. During the course of our research, we have noticed many changes that have occurred on their funeral rituals, beliefs and cultural tradition. Different factors were responsible for their changes. However, in this paper, we have given some observation on changing tradition and beliefs, its responsible factors; problem and prospect in future research on living megalithic tradition.
Herittage, 2018
Last few years’ research in the state of Odisha has brought to light several megalithic sites of ethnic community and most of them belong to Austro‐Asiatic group of family. Their megalithic structure is as that of other ethnic communities that follow megalithism in the present day in the central eastern part of India. During the course of our research, we have noticed many changes that have occurred on their funeral rituals, beliefs and cultural tradition. Different factors were responsible for their changes. However, in this paper, we have given some observation on changing tradition and beliefs, its responsible factors; problem and prospect in future research on living megalithic tradition.
The interior plateaus of southern India may be fairly characterized as the heart of the distribution of megaliths in South Asia; notwithstanding other isolated examples, it is in the southern states of India that these features are found in the highest density and diversity of form.
The eastern part of Maharashtra or more specifically, Vidarbha is rich in terms of archeological vestiges relating to various times. Of these, megalithic structures constitute a specific category identified as “Vidarbha Megaliths”. Number of megalithic burial sites have been explored and excavated since independence in central part of Vidarbha especially in Nagpur district. However, in comparison, eastern part of Vidarbha region significantly lags behind when it comes to the number of documented megalithic sites. Nevertheless, it must be admitted here that this was purely on account of less exploration in the area concerned. Therefore, not much information regarding megalithic culture of eastern Vidarbha was hitherto known. Present author undertook systematic explorations in this region particularly upper Wainganga valley and brought to light new megalithic sites. These newly found megaliths of the upper Wainganga valley are typologically different from rest of the Vidarbha. In light of aforesaid revelations, a study of typological features of the megaliths of upper Wainganga valley becomes an imperative exercise.This paper discusses in detail, the nature, type and variations in inner architecture of megaliths documented during the course of explorations and also draw from results of excavations at Malli as well since the latter is the only excavated megalithic site in upper Wainganga valley. Besides analytical insights from the author based upon the results of study, comparative study of megaliths of upper Wainganga valley and rest of the Vidarbha is also dealt with in this article in order to offer fruitful correlations
Documenta Praehistorica, 2023
The Tiwa community is one of the autochthonous communities of Northeast India. An important aspect of Tiwa culture is the erection of stone monuments during the celebration of Chongkhong Phuja. This ceremony is performed before the commencement of their yearly agricultural cycle which falls in late April and continues to early May. On this occasion, a menhir and table stone are erected by the head priest of the Tiwa village, who then invokes their village guardian deity to call for a better harvest as well as for the wellbeing of the villagers. This elaborate ceremony marks the beginning of the agricultural season for the year, following which the villagers commence their agricultural activities. This paper deals with the performance of Chongkhong Phuja and the associated living megalithic tradition among the Hill Tiwas residing in the Umswai Valley. It also documents the oral traditions associated with the origin of the megalithic tradition in the community. As most of the living megalithic traditions among the ethnic communities of Northeast India are either related to burial practices or commemorating the death of a person or an event, this Chongkhong Phuja represents a unique example of a megalithic tradition related to agricultural practice. Indirect evidence suggests the megalithic structures present at the ceremonial place of the Chongkhong Phuja in the Amsai village of the Umswai Valley have been continuously erected for the last thousand years. The paper also hypothesizes the shifting cultivation in the area to be as old as the practice of the megalithic tradition.
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Iron Age in India: Some more thoughts, 2021
The paper concern about the megalithic culture, its continuity and changing aspects in region of Jharkhand
Megalithic monuments have been reported from different geographical regions in Jharkhand. Though their authorship is enigmatic, continuity of the living traditions among several tribal communities can help to trace the origin of these ancient monuments. This paper is based on preliminary fieldwork conducted in 2015, to document various ancient megalithic sites and living tradition prevalent among the Munda community of Ranchi and Khunti Districts, Jharkhand.
Megaliths of the World, Archaeopress, 2022
Different megalithic landscapes of Northeast India offer rich sets of archaeological and ethnoarchaeological information on the social implications of megalith building activities in a comparative perspective. This paper attempts to situate the megalithic building traditions in Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, Assam, Mizoram, and Sikkim with specific reference to the nature of their social structures. Both memorisation practices (as displayed in standing stones) and ancestral practices (as displayed in different burial traditions), demonstrate that extensive communal and cooperative structures link different spheres of daily life. Feasting activities and the construction of megalithic monuments in the region of Northeast India represent a long-standing practice of both stratified and acephalous societies. The historical, archaeological, and ethnographic backgrounds to the megalithic traditions of Northeast India are thus examined and are linked to results from recent fieldwork undertaken in southern parts of Nagaland.
Man and Environment, 2020
Ethnoarchaeological study of megalithic tradition of the Mundas
Trivalent, 2021
The paper deals with megalithic tradition of austroasiatic population of Jharkhand
Megalithic burials in India yield three different types of burials; primary burials, Fragmentary burials with disarticulated bones and post cremated secondary burials. In Jharkhand, the excavation of Khuntitoli yielded evidences of post cremated burials of multiple individuals from a single capstone. Many Megalithic monuments are generally reported from the region of Jharkhand. Apart from ancient Megalithic sites, there is a rich tradition of contemporary Megalithic practices among the tribal communities, particularly, with the Mundas and their branches. They practice reburial of bones and post cremated burials as secondary funeral practices. Evidence recovered from excavations throws light on the antiquity of post cremated burials in the region. This paper is concerned towards basic identification of human skeletal remains recovered from four different Megalithic sites in Jharkhand. It deals with basic observation over bones recovered by the first author of this paper. Twisting, fissuring, warping, distortion, transverse breakage over the bones and the creamish white color of their surface indicates that they were charred under cremation in the ancient past, which could be very similar to the tradition of the disposal of the dead as continued today among the Munda society.
National Trust For Promotion of Knowledge: Indian Journal of Archaeology, 2022
This article by Brij Mohan describes 14 megalithic sites found in the Adhaura block district Kaimur, Bihar. These megalithic sites are generally found in all the parts of the Adhaura region like foothills, forests or in the vicinity of villages. The megaliths are mainly of Menhir or cairn circles variety. Some are combination of the two. Cultural material was also recovered from a few megalithic sites.
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