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. 

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