Kallur archaeological site

Infobox Indian Jurisdiction
native_name= Kallur
locator_position=right
latd = 16.14|longd=77.2
state_name=Karnataka
district=Raichur district
altitude=
population_total = | population_density =
area_magnitude=
area_total=
area_telephone=
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Kallur is an archaeological site located in the Raichur district of the state of Karnataka, India.Amalananda Ghosh (1990), p197] The site came into prominence with the discovery of antennae swords in the 1930s, which was the first instance of the Copper Hoard culture being discovered in South India. The earliest finding here has been dated to the Neolithic period.

Geography

The word "Kallur" is formed from two Kannada words: "kallu" which means "stone" and "ooru" which means "town". The number of granite hillocks that surround Kallur, may have given the place its name. Some of the hillocks that are present here are "Yammigudda", "Pirbannur", "Agsargudda", "Kampangudda" and "Polannagudda".

Excavation history

The site was first excavated in 1939–40 by M. Khwaja Ahmed of the Archaeological Department of Hyderabad state. It was later explored by F. Raymond Allchin in 1952.F. R. Allchin (1979), p113]

Findings

words

Villagers living around Kallur discovered three antennaed swords under a boulder on Pirbannur hillock in the 1930s. The swords were made of cast copper with the longest sword being 38½ inches (98 cm) in length and the shortest sword being 26¾ inches (68 cm) in length. The antennae of these swords was about 6–7 cm in length. These swords are similar to the ones found in the sites of Copper Hoard culture in North India, like Fatehgarh, and hence provides the first instance of such a site being found in South India.M. L. K. Murty (2003), p91] Robert von Heine-Geldern implied that these swords were influenced by the Koban culture, but this was disagreed by the Indian archaeologist, B. B. Lal.Amalananda Ghosh (1990), p351] Malati J. Shendge (2003), p. 169]

Paintings

On the "Yammigudda" hillock; buffaloes, miniature bulls and a man have been found painted over a rock face. Russet-coated painted ware have also been found here.

Objects

Other objects found here include cores of chert, jasper and chalcedony, stone axes, red ware, shell bangles and beads of semi precious stones. Presence of iron ore and quartzite provide the evidence that iron smelting in a crude form was performed here. Coins of the Satavahana period have also been found here.

Notes

References

*cite book |last= Ghosh|first= Amalananda|title= An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology|origyear=1990|year= 1990|publisher= BRILL|isbn=9004092625
*cite book |last= Allchin, F. R.|editor=Johanna Engelberta, Lohuizen-De Leeuw|title= South Asian Archaeology 1975: Papers from the Third International|origyear=1979|year= 1979|chapter=A South Indian Copper Sword and its significance|publisher= BRILL|isbn=9004059962
*cite book |last= Murty|first= M. L. K.|title= Pre- and Protohistoric Andhra Pradesh Up to 500 B.C.|origyear=2003|year= 2003|publisher= Orient Longman|isbn=8125024751
*cite book |last= Shendge|first= Malati J.|title= The Civilized Demons: The Harappans in Rigveda|origyear=2003|year= 2003|publisher= Abhinav Publications|isbn=8170170648