Ancient History Notes-6 UPSC CSE
Ancient South Indian History During the 1,000 B.C., the present states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala (in southern India) were inhabited by megalithic people. The important phase of the ancient history of south India is from the Megalithic period to about A.D. 300. Megalithic phase The literary meaning of the term megaliths is ‘big stones’ i.e. ‘mega’ means big and ‘lit’ means stones. The megalithic culture is known for its burials.
The megalithic culture suggests that there was an abrupt change from the Neolithic stage into the Iron Age and they did not experience the intermediate Chalcolithic or Bronze Age. Megalithics marked a point in time where prehistory ends and history begins. The builders of these Megalithics remain unknown to northern people because no reference tovthese monuments has been traced in Sanskrit or Prakrit literature though the early Tamil literature does contain descriptions of these burial practices. Burial sites Big stone were arranged over burial sites.
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