CAIRN, CAIRN CIRCLES WITH CIST, DOLMENS, MENHIRS, CEMETERY,.

Prehistoric humans lived in caves/plains, where water was easily available from a river or a lake. Since a prehistoric burial site contains more than a hundred burial monuments in one place, it indicates that prehistoric human beings lived in large numbers for a long period. The burial monuments are Cairn (கற்குவை), Cairn Circles (கல்வட்டங்கள்), Cairn Circles with Cist (கல்வட்டத்துடன் கூடிய கல் பதுக்கைகள்), Dolmens (கல் திட்டைகள்). As per the historians, these burial monuments belong to the Stone Age, ie, 3000 to 1800 BC, and were practised till the Sangam Age, ie, 300 BC to 200 CE.

In cairn circles,  the stones may be pebble-like stones or laterite stones, or the available stones of that region are kept in a round shape, keeping the cist at the centre. The size of the circle and the Cist depends on the person deceased, like the group leader.  Burial pots are pots in which the deceased will be kept and buried. In some cases, part of the bones is also kept. Along with the big pots, small pots containing the articles and food that are loved by the deceased are also kept. The cist contains stone slabs on 4 sides and is covered with a capstone slab. The cist will be below the ground level. In the case of Dolmens, side stone slabs are erected in the form of an inverted swastika, and a cover stone slab is erected on top. The Dolmens are erected where stone slabs are easily available, like hills, and are also available in the plains. In Tamil Nadu, these burial monument sites are found in the northern region, western region (Kongu Nadu), and southern region up to Madurai. The following posts contain details of burial monuments that I visited. 

PLACE	DESCRIPTIONS
Chennai District
Broadway	St Mary's Armenian Church & Cemetery
Elliots Beach	Kaj.Schmidt memorial
Nandambakkam	Madras War Cemetery
Nandambakkam	Madras War Cemetery
Nandhambakkam	Madras War Cemetery
Port Trust	Victory War Memorial
Port Trust	Victory War Memorial
Quibble Island	Quibble Island Cemetery
Theosophical Society	The Garden of Remembrance
Coimbatore District
Devanampalayam	Menhir at Amaneeswarar Temple
Devanurpudur	Menhirs
Karapadi	Menhir/ Hero Stambham
Mayiladum Parai	Menhirs
Nattukalpalayam	Cairn Circles and Menhirs
Panapatti	Cairn Circles With Cist
Podanur / Pothanur	John Wilson's Tomb
Seelakkampatti	Menhirs
Tammamparai	Menhir (Sangam Pidari Temple)
Erode District
Gundri	Cairn Circles
Kodumanal	Cairn Circles and Menhirs
Kodumanal	Cairn Circles and Menhirs
Kodumanal	அகழாய்வுகள் - Excavations in Tamil
Kudumiyampalayam	Menhir ( R R Thottam)
Kumarikalpalayam	Menhir and Angalamman Temple
Kumarikalpalayam	Menhir
Malayapalayam	Cairn Circles
Malayapalayam	Dolmen
Marur	Hero Stone & Cairn Circles
Mukkudi Velampalayam	Menhirs
Nichampalayam	Karkuvai
Nichampalayam	Menhirs
Panchalingapuram	Menhirs
Rettai Pali Valasu	Menhirs & Cairn Circles
Kanchipuram District
Aamoor	Cairn Circles with a Cist
Anoor	Cairn Circles with Cist
Kayar	Menhirs as Muneeswaran
Perumbakkam	Cairn Circles with Cist
Ponmar	Cairn Circles with Cist
Pulipakkam	Raghava Swamikal Jeeva Samadhi
Pullalur	Mysuru War Memorial Obelisk
Pullalur	Mysuru War Memorial Obelisk
Sastrapakkam	Cairn Circles with Cist
Thirukavanur	Cairn Circles
Thiruporur	Cairn Circles with Cist
Thiruporur	Cairn Circles with Cist
Karur District
Anjur	Menhir
Jagathabi	Menhirs & Cairn Circles
Munnur	Karkuvai - Kalkuva கல் குவ
Thaliapatty- Manavadi	Menhirs
Krishnagiri District
Chinnamattarapalli	Menhirs
Chinnamattarapalli	Stone Axes & Tools Factory
Guddapatti	Menhirs
Jagathab	Menhir
Mallachandram	Dolmens
Madurai District
Narasingampettai	Cairns in Circles and Squares and Menhirs
Nagapattinam District
Porayar	Bethlehem Church & Cemetery
Tharangambadi	Zion Church & Cemetery
Tharangambadi	Jerusalem Church & Cemetery
Namakkal District
Kolli Hills	Dolmen / Muthumakkal Thazhi
Pachal	Menhir
Seerapalli	Menhir
Chinnathambipalayam	Menhir or Insitu Rock
Nilgiris District
Banagudi	Dolmens with Hero Stones
Betalada	Menhir, Dolmen & Hero, and Sati Stones
Melur	Dolmen with Sati & Hero Stones
Sholurmattam	Dolmen with Sati Stone as Saptakannis
Pudukkottai District
Sengalur	Burial site with Cairn Circles & urns
Sengalur	Burial Site with Cairn Circles & Urns
Salem District
Bhodhamalai	Dolmens
Bhodhamalai	Nature's treasure and Neolithic tools
Savadipalayam	Dolmen Converted Shiva Temple
Kalrayan Hills Chinnakutti Maduvu	Neolithic Tools
Kalrayan Hills Periya Kuttimaduvu	Neolithic Tools
Kalrayan Hills Sembur	Dolmens & Karkuvai
Kalrayan Hills Sirumalai	Neolithic Tools & Inscription Stone
Kalrayan Hills Thumbal	Menhir and Cairn Circles
Sivaganga District
Sevur	Menhir
Theni District
Vembur, Kallathipuram	Cairn Circles, Dolmens and Menhirs
Thiruvallur District
Pazhaverkadu	Dutch cemetery
Poonamallee	St Mary Magdalene Church Cemetery
Pulicat	Dutch Cemetery
Pulicat	Dutch Cemetery
Thiruvannamalai District
Arani Playground	Col. Robert Kelly's Memorial Obelisk
Mottur	Anthropomorphic Sculpture
Seyamangalam	Menhir
Tiruppur District
Karuppattipalayam	Menhir
Kodumanal	Cairn Circles with Cist, Menhirs
Kodumanal	Dolmens with Cist and Menhirs
Pothampalayam	Menhir (Shiva Temple)
Pothampalayam	Neolithic Tool Sharpening
Singaripalayam	Menhir (Sangili Karuppannaswamy)
Sivanmalai	Cairn Circles with Cist
Villupuram District
Udayarnatham	Anthropomorphic Sculpture
Vellore District
Melpadi	Arinjaya Chozha's Pallipadai Temple
OTHER STATES
Andhra Pradesh
Bokkisha Palem, Thondamanadu	Adita Chozha's Pallipadai Temple
Karnataka
Ravanaphadi	Dolmen
Kerala
Alampatti	Rock arts & Dolmens
Muniyara	Rock arts & Dolmens
Madhya Pradesh
Maheswar	Rani Ahilyabai Cenotaph- Pallipadai Temple