49 
1888.] A. Rea— Pre-historic Burial-places in Southern India. 
cantonment of Pallavaram. A rock-cut cave on an adjoining liill skows 
tkat tke place was in existence in tlie days of tke Pallavas, or probably 
about or before tke 7tk century A. D. Tke name itself skows tke origin 
of tke town, and, from tke extensive nature of tliese burial-places, tke 
settlement was probably a large one. Like all tkis part of tke country, 
included in tke kingdom of Tondaimandalam, it would finally be wrested 
from tke Pallavas and fall under tke sway of tke conquering Ckolas in 
tke lltk century. Tkat it did so, is proved by tke existence of a Ckola 
temple in tke village of Trisulur. Tke tombs tliemselves most probably 
belong to tke earlier settlement of tke Pallavas, for tkey seem to be 
anterior in date to tke lltk century. Stone circles similar to tkese 
exist near Amaravati, and at various places once part of tke Pallava 
kingdom. Oblong eartkenware sarcophagi kave been found in tke dis¬ 
tricts of Ckingleput Nellur and North Arkat; and tke more common 
round or globular eartken tombs exist at places in tke Ckingleput 
Salem, Madura, Malabar and most otker districts. Sir Walter Elliot 
believed tkat tke dolmens were erected by tke Pallavas, and tkis view 
seems to be to a certain extent borne out by subsequent observers, in so 
far as it relates to tke fact tkat tke Pallavas may kave erected dolmens ; 
it is very doubtful if they could kave erected all of them. In tke dol¬ 
mens themselves, however, there is great variety of form observable in 
tke various districts, and if tkese were all tke work of one race of people, 
the differences would have to be accounted for by the forms adopted or 
practised by the various sects or castes. The problem is one not so 
easily solved, for dolmens with a greater or less similarity to each other 
exist, not only over the whole of India, but also over a great portion of 
tke world. If we assame tkat tke Pallavas or Knrumbars erected those 
in India, how is tke resemblance to tkese in others, found out of India, 
to be accounted for ? But even in India itself, though tke Pallavas 
were undoubtedly a powerful dynasty, there is no proof that they had 
sway over anything like tke whole of India. Tkis being so, those me- 
galitkic remains, found outside tke limits of the ancient Pallava king¬ 
dom, must kave been erected by a different race or races from tke Palla¬ 
vas. Carrying tke point still further, when considerable difference of 
plan, design, or arrangement is found—for example, circles, squares, and 
tke almost infinite variety of classes of megalifchic remains,—not only over 
wide areas within the limits of the Pallava kingdom, but even in those 
in close proximity to each otker, kow can it be proved tkat they were 
all erected by the Pallavas ? If it is admitted that tkey may have 
erected certain of them, it must be qualified by tke inferred supposition 
that tke differences in arrangement must be due to the forms used by 
different castes or sections of the tribe ; for, in a conservative people 
G 
