Mulugu (Telangana), Apr 2 (TNT): Extensive prehistoric burial sites dating back to the Stone Age have been identified in Motlagudem village of Damaravai Mandal in Telangana by the state Heritage Deaprtment, indicating early human settlements in the Godavari River Basin, officials said on Thursday.
The findings emerged after a technical team, acting on inputs from local residents, conducted a field survey under the directions of Special Chief Secretary Jayesh Ranjan.
The team was led by Acharya Arjun Rao (Director), Dr. P. Nagaraju (Deputy Director), and A. Raju (OSD).
Located around 120 km from Warangal, the burial structures, locally known as “Rakasi Bandalu” (giant stones) and “Rakasi Guhalu” (giant caves)—provide crucial evidence of early human life, including their customs, occupations, and social organisation.
Hundreds of such sites have been identified across the Eturnagaram agency region, including villages in Damaravai, Jaggaram, Gangaram, Rangapuram, Kamaram, and parts of Mangapet Mandal such as Mallur Gutta, Motlagudem, Komuraram, Chettupalli, Kanchanpalli, Galaba, Dongathogu, and Gundala, the Heritage Department said in a release here on Thursday.
At Kappalayi Gutta, a large cluster of dolmen burials has been documented. These structures, built using sandstone slabs, consist of four vertical stones topped with massive capstones weighing between 10 and 20 tonnes.
Each burial contains a stone trough resembling a sarcophagus and is enclosed within a circular stone boundary.
Spread over nearly 100 acres, with structures spaced between 5 and 100 feet apart, the layout suggests a well-planned settlement resembling an organised ancient habitation.
Officials believe this may be one of the largest dolmen burial clusters in the country.
However, several sites have been damaged over time due to human activity, with stone slabs repurposed for construction and burial components used for livestock needs.
Many areas have also turned into forested zones inhabited by wildlife.
Experts noted that such burial practices reflect a belief in life after death, comparable to funerary traditions seen in Egyptian pyramids. Similar dolmen burials are found across southern states, including Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and Telangana.
Officials said the discovery highlights the rich archaeological heritage of the region and stressed the need for its preservation.
TNT TS
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