Question

Name some areas where megaliths were present.

Answer 1

Hint: A large prehistoric stone which was used to construct a structure or a monument is called a Megalith. They are either found standing alone or together with other stones.

Complete answer:
In 1849, the word Megalith was first used by British Antiquarian Algeron Herbert. It is derived from Greek. Most megaliths were found to be created during the Neolithic period through the Chalcolithic age and the Bronze age. Although very often only one piece of rock is called megaliths, it can also be used to denote a stone that has a definite shape and is used for particular purposes. Megaliths have been found in: Central India, the oldest megalith was discovered in the upper Indus valley, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Megaliths were used for the construction of burial sites and memorials. But this was not the only use. They were used for temples, marking territories, religious centres, meeting places, astronomical observatories and also as status symbols. In India the spread of megaliths was by Dravidians. The Indian megaliths belong to the Iron Age dated to 1000 Bc onwards. In India they have been found in different chronological periods. Some of the usual megaliths have been found in North India.

Note: The oldest megaliths in India are the ones found in the northern part of the country which lies in the present day Afghanistan in the upper Indus Valley. They are dated to 3000 BC and found in the form of stone circles. Such stone circles are also largely found in Europe.