The Sheffield archaeologists, Professor Mike Parker-Pearson and Professor Andrew Chamberlain, believe that the cremation burials could represent the natural deaths of a single elite family and its descendants, perhaps a ruling dynasty. One clue to this is the small number of burials in Stonehenge´s earliest phase, a number that grows larger in subsequent centuries, as offspring would have multiplied.
Many archaeologists previously believed that people had been buried at Stonehenge only between 2700 and 2600 B.C., before the large stones, known as sarsens, were put in place. The new dates provide strong clues about the original purpose of the monument and show that its use as a cemetery extended for more than 500 years.
The earliest cremation burial dated a small pile of burned bones and teeth came from one of the pits around Stonehenge´s edge known as the Aubrey Holes and dates to 3030-2880 B.C., roughly the time when Stonehenge´s ditch-and-bank monument was cut into Salisbury Plain.
The second burial, from the ditch surrounding Stonehenge, is that of an adult and dates to 2930-2870 B.C. The most recent cremation comes from the ditch´s northern side and was of a 25-year-old woman; it dates to 2570-2340 B.C., around the time the first arrangements of sarsen stones appeared at Stonehenge.
This is the first time any of the cremation burials from Stonehenge have been radiocarbon dated. The burials dated were excavated in the 1950s and have been kept at the nearby Salisbury Museum.
Another 49 cremation burials were dug up at Stonehenge during the 1920s, but all were put back in the ground because they were thought to be of no scientific value. Archaeologists estimate that up to 240 people were buried within Stonehenge, all as cremation deposits.
The latest findings are the result of the Stonehenge Riverside Project, a collaboration between five UK universities, which is funded by the National Geographic Society and the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), with support from English Heritage. The project´s last digging season near Stonehenge saw excavation of houses at nearby Durrington Walls, the precise dating of Stonehenge´s cursus the ditched enclosure nearly two miles long that has long puzzled archaeologists and new discoveries about the "Cuckoo Stone" and the timber monuments south of Woodhenge.
Professor Mike Parker-Pearson, from the Department of Archaeology at the University of Sheffield, who leads the Stonehenge Riverside Archaeological Project, said: "I don´t think it was the common people getting buried at Stonehenge it was clearly a special place at that time. One has to assume anyone buried there had some good credentials.
"The people buried here must have been drawn from a very small and select living population. Archaeologists have long speculated about whether Stonehenge was put up by prehistoric chiefs perhaps even ancient royalty and the new results suggest that not only is this likely to have been the case but it also was the resting place of their mortal remains
> Stonehenge Could Have Been Resting Place For Royalty
Hi vijay these stone structures above burial spots were common in that age. we have one near guduvanjery discovered by gift siromoney megaliths, or dolmen(??)
must have been to mark the place or protect the corpse from wild animals. then ego crept in My grand father's burial stone is bigger than yours type.
here is a small write up from gift siromoney's page
Around 300 B.C., there were people of the Iron Age living in Tambaram area and they built their burial monuments in the form of dolmens and stone circles which are called Megaliths (big stones). Fine examples of such Megalithic Monuments can be seen about 100 metres east of the Great Southern Trunk Road near Guduvancheri railway station.
if you have time look up the design of sakthi sthal of indira gandhi. looks amazingly similar. venketesh
> > http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080529195341.htm > > http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080529/ap_on_sc/sci_stonehenge > > The Sheffield archaeologists, Professor Mike Parker-Pearson and > Professor Andrew Chamberlain, believe that the cremation burials > could represent the natural deaths of a single elite family and its > descendants, perhaps a ruling dynasty. One clue to this is the small > number of burials in Stonehenge´s earliest phase, a number that > grows larger in subsequent centuries, as offspring would have > multiplied. > > Many archaeologists previously believed that people had been buried > at Stonehenge only between 2700 and 2600 B.C., before the large > stones, known as sarsens, were put in place. The new dates provide > strong clues about the original purpose of the monument and show > that its use as a cemetery extended for more than 500 years. > > The earliest cremation burial dated a small pile of burned bones > and teeth came from one of the pits around Stonehenge´s edge known > as the Aubrey Holes and dates to 3030-2880 B.C., roughly the time > when Stonehenge´s ditch-and-bank monument was cut into Salisbury > Plain. > > The second burial, from the ditch surrounding Stonehenge, is that of > an adult and dates to 2930-2870 B.C. The most recent cremation comes > from the ditch´s northern side and was of a 25-year-old woman; it > dates to 2570-2340 B.C., around the time the first arrangements of > sarsen stones appeared at Stonehenge. > > This is the first time any of the cremation burials from Stonehenge > have been radiocarbon dated. The burials dated were excavated in the > 1950s and have been kept at the nearby Salisbury Museum. > > Another 49 cremation burials were dug up at Stonehenge during the > 1920s, but all were put back in the ground because they were thought > to be of no scientific value. Archaeologists estimate that up to 240 > people were buried within Stonehenge, all as cremation deposits. > > The latest findings are the result of the Stonehenge Riverside > Project, a collaboration between five UK universities, which is > funded by the National Geographic Society and the Arts and > Humanities Research Council (AHRC), with support from English > Heritage. The project´s last digging season near Stonehenge saw > excavation of houses at nearby Durrington Walls, the precise dating > of Stonehenge´s cursus the ditched enclosure nearly two miles long > that has long puzzled archaeologists and new discoveries about > the "Cuckoo Stone" and the timber monuments south of Woodhenge. > > Professor Mike Parker-Pearson, from the Department of Archaeology at > the University of Sheffield, who leads the Stonehenge Riverside > Archaeological Project, said: "I don´t think it was the common > people getting buried at Stonehenge it was clearly a special place > at that time. One has to assume anyone buried there had some good > credentials. > > "The people buried here must have been drawn from a very small and > select living population. Archaeologists have long speculated about > whether Stonehenge was put up by prehistoric chiefs perhaps even > ancient royalty and the new results suggest that not only is this > likely to have been the case but it also was the resting place of > their mortal remains >
IT is interesting to go through these details again on the auspicious occasion of Most Rev. Alphona - born in Kottayam, Kerala in 1910, became BUN in 1927 and died in 1946 is being accorded SAINTHOOD by the HH Pope Benedict XVI in Vatican as of now (when I am putting this mail !).
The Sainthood is accorded since a physically challenged child got cured sometime back after praying in front of the Tomb of (St) Most Rev Alphonsa !
==== following exchanges are reposted from earlier mails /-----------
This February, I went to visit the so called RRC Pallippadai. (after all our discussions in the Forum, I not sure of what i saw is true one or not).
Along with this place, i visited the near by temple "Paalkualtthi amman kovil' in the same Udayaalur village where the inscriptions of the Pallippadai are found in the pillars of this amman temple...
:( I read about the existance of RRC's tomb only by reading an article by Madhan in Aanandha Vikatan (i guess 1998 edition or so)
.. > > :( I read about the existance of RRC's tomb only by reading an article by Madhan in Aanandha Vikatan (i guess 1998 edition or so) > > How come he wrote this? > > Shriram > > > > http://album-photo.geo.fr/ap/album/5780/ > dear sri
Dear Thiru Sivapathasekaran - I am "very very thankful" to you 'for taking so much of pain', in providing so much of informations on Pallippadai Temples etc, which are very useful to me and I have saved them in my Computer for future reference.
Probably a Pallippadai on the banks of Kollidam would have sparked such a magnum opus PS by Kalki !
searched while looking for some details re Kalahasthi ::
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reposting a message from Gokul ::
Aditya-I's Pallippadai by name Kothanda Rama Iswaram has been identified near Kalahasthi. It was built by his son Parantaka I
Arinjaya chozha's Pallipadai has been identified near Thiruppurambiyam (or is it another place? - memory is failing me). It was built by Rajaraja I.
Panchavan mahadevi pallipadai is near pazhaiyarai. It was built by rajendra I. We visited this and this month's Thisaigal magazine (www.thisaigal.com) carries an article about our visit with Kudavoil.
Vaanavan mahadevi pallipadai exists somewhere near madras (again forgot the place - I think it is brahmadesam near ennayiram). Built by Rajendra I.
Many other pallipadais have been mentioned in epigraphs but not all are tracable. Most pallipadais are mentioned in the name of Iaswarams - Panchavan mahadevi Iaswaram, Vaanavan maadevi Iaswaram etc. There is a mention about a vaanavan mahadevi Iswaram in one of the epigraphs in Thirumayam. Dr.Nalili touched about it in one of her articles in www.varalaaru.com
Recently SPS had given an email about a series of 5 pallipadais identified by Dr.Kudavoil.
Kudavoil also postulates that rettai koil - a place near kumbakonam might have housed vaanavan maadevi - sundara choza's pallipadais.
No pandiyan/chera pallipadai has been identified so far - to my limited knowledge. Infact no indian king has invested time or resources to built a big tomb for him. We did not believe in sanctifying the body of a lost soul - we just burnt it - be it king or begger ! This is in striking contrast to egyptian or chinese beliefs....
There might be a reason why only chola kings built pallipadais on top of their last remains. Most of them were pasupatha cult saivites - going through siva deekshai at some point of time. In order to understand the full genesis of pallipadais one needs to understand pashupatha cult - which has almost completely been lost or destroyed.
I know a small village called pallippadai about 2 kms from chidambaram town. It is in the route of cuddalore to chidambaram ,in a branch road near a church . This information may be useful to some people involved with this subject.
"....Panchavan mahadevi pallipadai is near pazhaiyarai. It was built by rajendra I. We visited this and this month's Thisaigal magazine (www.thisaigal.com) carries an article about our visit with Kudavoil...."
I am interested in this article of yours. I tried to reach www.thisaigal.com but failed.
Could you very kindly help me with the corresponding URL Link for me to reach this article.