Hyderabad: An archaeologist has claimed to have found a menhir (tall, upright stone erected in prehistoric times) dating to the iron age about 3,500 years ago (1500 BCE) in Maripeda mandal of Mahbubabad district.
Dr E. Sivanagi Reddy, CEO of Pleach India Foundation, found the structure by the roadside at Ellarigudem, a hamlet of Beechrajupalli, on Sunday. He said it was a chance find during a survey of archaeological and heritage remains in Maripeda mandal that was conducted on Sunday under the ‘Preserve Heritage for Posterity’ programme.
Dr Reddy said the menhir was erected in memory of a deceased person. It is about seven feet tall with a diameter of three feet. Sriramoju Haragopal, convener, Kotha Telangana History Group, confirmed that the menhir belongs to the Megalithic period.
Retired director of Geological Survey of India (GSI) Dr K. Mahendar Reddy said the menhir was made of leucogranite, which is a light-coloured, weathered igneous rock, dates back to 2,500 million years ago, and is of geological importance.
Dr Sivanagi Reddy sensitised the local community on the archaeological significance of the menhir and urged them to preserve it by arranging for a barricade around it along with a plaque embossed with its details.
