MANUAL OF THE NILAGIRI DISTRICT. 



233 



Cairns are most numerous in the thickly populated portions of CHAP. X. 

 the hills and are met with but rarely in the Kundas. Antiquitiks 



They occupy almost invariably commanding positions on hills, _ "" 

 and the principal stone slabs within the circles lie most fre- 

 quently south-west by north-east. Sometimes rather more to the 

 north and south, but never in a contrary direction. 



The following articles had been discovered. Generally some —contents. 

 burnt bones, and in some cases pieces of skulls and jaw bones 

 which are still whole. Pottery, varying from vessels made of very 

 coarse clay, like the common chatty, to very fine pottery 

 containing specks of mica and well glazed. The shapes of these 

 vessels are very varied. Some of the lids are ornamented with 

 figures of men and animals. There are pots having lids with 

 birds, pigs, deer, dogs, elephants, horses, buflaloes, and trees, and 



CINERARY URNS 



I one or two figures of men and women — some of the men on 

 horse-back. One lid has a pillar or tower on it. Nearly all the 

 implements found are of iron and present a curious similarity to 

 those found in PJuropean tumuli. They include knives of various 

 kinds, swords, razors, scythes, bells, and chains, also a few bronze 

 vessels, some of them beautiful in shape and workmanship, 

 and some gold ornaments — no silver. 



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