Site discovered at Idur-Kunjadi indicates that the Mesolithic people were active

Udupi: Their 'hunt' succeeded when the team stumbled upon a collection of sharp stone tools near Idur-Kunjadi in Udupi district.

Their 'discovery,' is likely to help in studying in what could be one of the biggest Mesolithic settlements in coastal Karnataka.

The team lead by Prof T Murugeshi, associate professor, ancient history and archaeology, MSRS College-Shirva who had discovered a Mesolithic period rock art at Avalakkipare in Kundapur last years were of the opinion that the settlement could be bigger.

Thus began the search for some materials or objects in the nearby places which they could associate with the prehistoric habitation and prove that the settlement was spread over a wide area.

"We were searching for some prehistoric sites near Avalakkipare, and with a distance less than 4 kms we found a good number of mesolithic tools near Iduru-Kunjadi. These tools are characterized by blades, scrapers, burine, fluted cores, arrow-heads, and flakes are of nongeometric pattern," Prof T Murugeshi told Deccan Chronicle.

"They resembled the tools found at Avalakkipare and also those that were discovered by Dr Rajendran at Netravati Basin in Uppinangadi a few years ago. Prof Rajendran had assigned the date of the Uppinngadi site to earlier than 4000 BC. My research indicates that the site discovered by us at Idur-Kunjadi must be dating between 8000 BC to 6000 BC," Prof Murugeshi explains.

Prof Murugeshi feels the site at Iduru-Kunjadi is an extension of Avalakkipare site on the banks of a tributary of River Sauparnika. The belt is inside Mookambika wildlife reserve near Kollur.

"The site Iduru-Kunjadi even today a huge grazing plain of variety of animals like wild buffalos, wild bores deers and others and which supposedly might have been a hunting plain in prehistoric times," he adds.

The discovery is of much importance as it indicates that the habitation was a major Mesolithic settlement spread over a vast area in the basin of Sauparnika and its tributaries.

"We believe it is just the tip of the iceberg. The Discovery of a good number of tools at Idur-Kunjadi might indicate that the Mesolithic people here were active. This place too might have a rock art or some such site for which these tools were used. We have to discover it," Prof Murugeshi explains.

A detailed study was disrupted due to the Covid Lockdown. The work may be postponed for some more days due to monsoon.

"We will have a deep study. We are hopeful that it would lead to a major finding," Prof Murugeshi added.