CAIRN, CAIRN CIRCLES WITH CIST, DOLMENS, MENHIRS, CEMETERY,.

Prehistoric human beings lived in caves/plains, where water was easily available, be it from a river or a lake. Since a prehistoric burial site contains more than a hundred burial monuments in one place indicates that prehistoric human beings lived in large numbers for a long period. The burial monuments are  Cairn ( கற்குவை ), Cairn Circles ( கல்வட்டங்கள் ), Cairn Circles with Cist ( கல்வட்டத்துடன் கூடிய கல் பதுக்கைகள் ), Dolmens ( கல் திட்டைகள்). 

As per the historians, these burial monuments belong to the Stone Age, ie, 3000 to 1800 BC, and were practiced till the Sangam Age, ie, 300 BC to 200 AD.

In cairn circles,  the stones may be pebble-like stones or laterite stones, or the available stones of that region are kept in a round shape, keeping the cist at the center. The size of the circle and the Cist depends on the person deceased, like the group leader.  Burial pots, in which the deceased will be kept and buried. In some cases, part of the bones is also kept. Along with the big pots, small pots containing the articles and food that are loved by the deceased are also kept. The cist contains stone slabs on 4 sides and is covered with a capstone slab. The cist will be below the ground level. In the case of Dolmens, side stone slabs are erected in the form of an inverted swastika, and a cover stone slab is erected on top. The Dolmens are erected where stone slabs are easily available, like hills, and in the plains. In Tamil Nadu, these burial monument sites are found in the northern region, western region (Kongu Nadu), and southern region up to Madurai. The following posts contain such burial monuments with details, which I visited.  

STATE/DISTRICT	PLACE	DESCRIPTION
Chennai Dist	Besant Nagar, Elliots Beach	Kaj.Schmidt memorial
Chennai Dist	Broadway	St Mary's Armenian Church & Cemetery
Chennai Dist	Nandambakkam	Madras War Cemetery
Chennai Dist	Nandampakkam	Madras War Cemetery
Chennai Dist	Nandhambakkam	Madras War Cemetery
Chennai Dist	Port Trust	Victory War Memorial
Chennai Dist	Port Trust	Victory War Memorial
Chennai Dist	Quibble Island	Quibble Island Cemetery
Chennai Dist	Theosophical society	The Garden of Remembrance
Coimbatore Dist	Podanur/ Pothanur	John Wilson's Tomb
Coimbatore Dist	Devanampalayam	Menhir at Amaneeswarar Temple
Coimbatore Dist	Mayiladum Parai	Menhirs
Coimbatore Dist	Panapatti	Cairn Circles With Cist
Erode Dist	Gundri	Cairn Circles
Erode Dist	Kodumanal	பெருங்கற்கால சின்னங்கள் அகழாய்வு
Erode Dist	Kudumiyampalayam	Menhir ( R R Thottam)
Erode Dist	Kumarikalpalayam	Menhir and Angalamman Temple
Erode Dist	Kumarikalpalayam	Menhir
Erode Dist	Malayapalaya	Cairn Circles
Erode Dist	Malayapalayam	Dolmen
Erode Dist	Marur	Hero Stone & Cairn Circles
Erode Dist	MukkudiVelampalayam	Menhirs
Erode Dist	Nichampalayam	Menhirs
Erode Dist	Panchalingapuram	Menhirs
Erode Dist	Rettai Pali Valasu	Menhirs & Cairn Circles
Kanchipuram Dist	Aamoor	Cairn circles with Cist
Kanchipuram Dist	Anoor	Cairn Circles with Cist
Kanchipuram Dist	Kayar	Menhirs as Muneeswaran
Kanchipuram Dist	Perumpakkam	Cairn circles with Cist
Kanchipuram Dist	Ponmar	Cairn circles with Cist
Kanchipuram Dist	Pulipakkam	Raghava Swamikal Jeeva Samadhi
Kanchipuram Dist	Pullalur	Mysuru War Memorial Obelisk
Kanchipuram Dist	Pullalur	Mysuru War Memorial Obelisk
Kanchipuram Dist	Sastrapakkam	Cairn Circles
Kanchipuram Dist	Thirukavanur	Cairn Circles
Kanchipuram Dist	Thiruporur	Cairn Circles with cist
Kanchipuram Dist	Thiruporur	Cairn circles with Cist
Karur Dist	Munnur	கற்குவை - கல் குவ - Karkuvai
Krishnagiri Dist	Jagathab	Menhir குரங்கு பட்டரை
Krishnagiri Dist	Chinnamattarapalli	Menhirs
Krishnagiri Dist	Chinnamattarapalli	Stone axes & Tools Factory
Krishnagiri Dist	Guddapatti	Menhirs
Krishnagiri Dist	Mallachandram	Dolmens
Madurai Dist	Narasingampatti	Cairns in Circles & Squares and Menhirs
Nagapattinam Dist	Porayar	Bethlehem Church & Cemetery
Nagapattinam Dist	Tharangambadi	Zion Church & Cemetery
Nagapattinam Dist	Tharangampadi	Jerusalem Church & Cemetery
Namakkal Dist	Kolli Malai, Vasalurpatti	Dolmen, Muthumakkal Thazhi
Namakkal Dist	Pachal	Menhir
Namakkal Dist	Seerapalli	Menhir
Namakkal Dist	Thaliapatty- Manavadi	Menhirs
Nilgiris Dist	Banagudi	Dolmen with Hero & Sati Stones
Nilgiris Dist	Betalada	Menhir, Dolmen with Hero & Sati Stones
Nilgiris Dist	Sholurmattam	Dolmen with Sati as Saptha Kanniyar
Nilgiris Dist	Melur	Dolmen with Sati & Hero stones
Pudukkottai Dist	Sengalur	Burial site with Cairn Circles & urns
Pudukkottai Dist	Sengalur	Burial site with Cairn Circles & Urns
Salem Dist	Bhodhamalai	Dolmens
Salem Dist	Bhodhamalai	Nature's treasure and Neolithic tools
Salem Dist	Chinnakuttimaduvu	Neolithic Tools
Salem Dist	Periya Kuttimaduvu	Neolithic Tools
Salem Dist	Sembur	Dolmens & Karkuvai
Salem Dist	Sirumalai	Neolithic Tools & Inscription Stone
Salem Dist	Thumbal	Menhir and cairn Circles
Sivaganga Dist	Sevur	Menhir
Theni Dist	Vembur, Kallathipuram	Cairn Circles, Dolmens and Menhirs
Thiruvallur Dist	Pazhaverkadu	Dutch cemetery
Thiruvallur Dist	Poonamallee	St Mary Magdalene Church Cemetery
Thiruvallur Dist	Pulicat	Dutch Cemetery
Thiruvallur Dist	Pulicat	Dutch Cemetery
Thiruvannamalai Dist	Play ground	Col. Robert Kelly's Memorial Obelisk
Thiruvannamalai Dist	Mottur	Anthropomorphic figures
Thiruvannamalai Dist	Seeyamangalam	Menhir
Tiruppur Dist	Kodumanal	Cairn Circles with Cist, Menhirs
Tiruppur Dist	Kodumanal	Dolmens with Cist and Menhirs
Tiruppur Dist	Pothampalayam	Menhir
Tiruppur Dist	Sivanmalai	Cairn Circles with Cist
Villupuram Dist	Udayarnatham	Anthropomorphic Figures
OTHER STATES
Karnataka	Ravanaphadi	Rock Cut Cave Temple
Kerala	Alampatti	Rock arts & Dolmens
Madhya Pradesh	Khajuraho, Adivasi Museum	Hero Stambas
Madhya Pradesh	Sanchi Museum	Hero Stambas