Grave Goods from Megalithic Burials in the Upland Forests of the Nilgiri Mountains, South India: Analysis and Chronology

Abstract

The article examines the grave goods excavated in the nineteenth century from megalithic burials on the tops and ridges of the Nilgiri Mountains in southern India, an area of montane subtropical forests. This analysis is based on the study of the collection of Nilgiri grave goods held at the British Museum combined with a preliminary survey around the Nilgiri towns of Udhagamandalam and Kotagiri in Tamil Nadu that was carried out in November and December 2018. The article presents a stylistic and typological study of the Nilgiri grave goods based on a comparative analysis with analogous artifacts excavated at other South Asian sites and proposes an improved chronology for these materials.