53 
1888.] A. Rea— Tre-historic Burial-places in Southern India. 
the former observers of those remains at Pallavaram found any traces 
of iron, or other metal weapons or utensils ; nor were there any bones. 
In one of a number which I opened, some bones were found ; these were 
in a very decayed condition and uncalcined. A number of small earthen 
vessels have been found, principally in the round tombs : the oblong 
sarcophagi seem particularly devoid of such relics. In one of these 
latter I found a small oblong tomb placed inside the larger one, and 
from this I suggested that this oblong form may have been used for 
the females of the tribe : for, in certain cases with the Hindus at the 
present day it is the practice to bury the infant along with the mother. 
The bodies in the round tombs would be the males, placed in a crouch¬ 
ing or sitting position. Certain tribes or castes among the Hindus still 
bury their dead in this position, though of course not in a receptacle, or 
enclosed tomb. The female is buried in a horizontal posture, and the 
male in a sitting position. In an interesting article* on pre-historic 
tombs in Malabar, it has been stated that the protuberance on the bot¬ 
tom of such round sepulchral urns probably signifies a representation of 
the os uteri ; being emblematic of the religious ideas connected with the 
earth-goddess, and that such a burial was emblematic of the return of 
the individual to the womb of Mother Earth. The same idea was after¬ 
wards advanced in reference to the Pallavaram tombs. 
The chief sect which adopts the custom of burying, (uttara-Jcriyd ), 
is the Lingadharis or certain followers of S'iva,—who, in most cases, 
bury their dead in a sitting position. The grave is partly filled up to 
the waist of the deceased, when, after the saying of mantras and other 
ceremonies have been gone through, the friends who are present, throw 
in handfuls of earth till they raise a low mound over it. Sanyasis are 
always buried ; they are considered so holy that they have no need of 
the ceremonies necessary for baser mortals. Boys who have not under¬ 
gone the ceremony of upanayanam (similar to the Anglican confirma¬ 
tion) ; by some castes, all unmarried girls ; with the Sudras, those under 
the age of ten; those who die of small-pox, and soldiers who die in 
battle, all are buried. A relic of the ancient custom of placing food 
with the deceased ( pretdhdram or food for the spirit) still exists in the 
practice of cooking different kinds of food, and taking it to the burial- 
place, scattering it there. The remains at Pallavaram are evidently those 
of a burying people, and not of those who first cremate, and afterwards 
collect and place the burnt bones in the ground. 
Dr. Burgess had suggested that one or more of the earthen tombs 
should be removed to Madras, but from the brittle condition in which 
* Logan, Malabar, 1887, Vol. I, p. 181. 
