238 



MANUAL OF THE NILAGIRI DISTRICT. 



CHAP. X. exist in only one locality, on the slopes near Kotagiri — close to 



Antiquities. 



the site of the ruined fort of Udiardya. 





KISTVAEN-CONGREVE 



—size. Mr. Breeks found them all much alike. The size of the chest 



was about 3 feet 6 inches by 2 feet 6 inches, and the round 

 aperture varied from 12 to 15 inches in diameter. They had all 

 been opened, but the earth within the kist was mixed with 



—contents, charcoal, whilst that outside appeared to be the natural soil. A 

 broken dagger and some fragments of pottery are all the "Jinds" 

 recorded. These were not in the kist but beside it. One of 

 the Kistvaens described by Mr. Boswell in the Kistna District 

 exactly corresponds with these, the pottery being in ** an adjacent 

 chamber," not in the kist. In the plains Kistvaens are said to 

 exist side by side with cromlechs, and to be undoubtedly tombs. 

 In the Nilagiris, although they appear to have no connection 

 with the cromlechs, there is every reason to suppose that they, 

 too, were used as sepulchres. 



Stone circles. It is almost impossible to distinguish these, in the few cases in 

 which they exist apart from cairns, from modern Toda Azarams. 

 Mr. Breeks thinks that only one isolated ancient circle has been 

 identified near the Paikare Tirieri-mand, but that there are 

 circles in two places, which are perhaps neither kraals nor cairns. 

 Of these he remarks : — 



"They consist of two or thi-ee groups of circles of dry walling, to 

 the right of the Segnr road, opposite Muttanad mand. One of these 

 first dug out appears to be the kraal referred to in the story of Koten. 

 It is built on sheet rock, in some places quite bare, in others covered 

 only by a thin coating of tm-f and vegetable soil. Near this were 

 several circles joined together, some large and some small. In one of 

 the latter, about half a foot below the surface, were five small stones, 

 about 12 X6x 6 inches laid in this form. Nothing was found within 

 or below the stones." 



The whole hill-side was covered with azdrams, indicating that 

 it was an ancient burial ground. 



