Location
The Menhir is located at the University of Hyderabad Campus,
close to the main entrance gate.
Description
The menhir at the University of Hyderabad is India’s oldest megalithic site. The site is believed to be the world’s oldest iron age site and India’s oldest megalithic site, when it was discovered in
2003-2004 by History Professors from University of Hyderabad, KP Rao and Aloka Parasher Sen, dating it back roughly to 2795-2145 BCE. The iron age is generally considered to start from about 1,000 BCE.
The menhir is of 20 tons granite, about 20 ft tall and is believed to go 20 ft below the ground too. The word “menhir” is derived from old Brittonic: Maen or men, (stone) and hir or hîr, (long), meaning a long stone, usually placed on a place of burial.
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Existing Condition
The site is not easily accessible, but an annual visit is conducted by the university’s archaeology students after the retreat of the southwest monsoon.
Archive
References
- inditales.com
Contributors
NIUM