Question

Write a short note on the different types of megalithic burial types found in the Sangam literature.

Answer 1

Instructions: To answer this question we need to list the different types of megalithic burials found in the Sangam literature and their descriptions.

Solution: In the Sangam literature there is mention of different burial practices. The megalithic burials are classified as dolmens, cists, menhirs, rock-cut caves, urn burials and sarcophagus.

• Dolmens were table-like stone structures. They were erected as funerary monuments.
• Cists are stone enclosures buried under the earth. They were created by placing four stone slabs on the sides, one on top of the other.
• The cists and dolmens have openings called portholes. They may have acted as the entrance to the burials. Urns are pottery jars and were used for burying the dead.
• Sarcophagi are burial receptacles made of terracotta. They sometimes had multiple legs.
• Menhirs are pillar-like stones erected as part of burials or memorials.