Hirebenakal Megalithic Necropolis
Tomb / BurialAsia
Massive dolmen necropolis on a granite hill in Karnataka, India — over 1,000 dolmens scattered across approximately 8 square kilometers, the largest such concentration in South Asia. The dolmens are constructed of slabs of locally-quarried granite, some up to 4 meters tall, supported on edge stones with capping slabs and surrounded by small stone circles. Conventional dating places the necropolis in the Iron Age (c. 1000-300 BCE) on the basis of associated material culture, but the precision-cut joinery and standardized dimensions have led Hugh Newman and others to question the conventional Iron-Age tool kit.
Look Closer — this site carries open questions: stones heavier than the period's tools could lift; polygonal, interlocking masonry.
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Walkthrough videos (1)
Who Built The Hirebenakal Dolmens of India? | Megalithomania ClipHugh Newman / Megalithomania
Nearby sites
- Hampi44 km
- Maliabad Fort144 km
- Sahasralinga (Shilmala River)171 km