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NOVEMBER, 1874.]
DOLMENS AT KONUR AND AIHOLLI.
307
of no pretensions; the shrine and antechamber of loose stones has, in most cases, been entirely of what has once been a pretty Saiva temple removed, partly perhaps by cattle climbing over built in the Dravidian style; and some silasa. them, and by other accidental causes during the sanas or inscribed slabs. The falls, about a course of ages, but, to a large extent probably, mile above the village, are truly grand,-theby herdsmen and others from motives of cariosity water plunging over a black perpendicular cliff or in search of treasure, or by Wadáris to get 178 feet high, worn back by the action of long at the capstones, which have nearly all disages into a horse-shoe form. Right opposite appeared. In the case of that just described, to this, on the south side, is the temple of the stones are thrown in a heap just behind the Mahaling es varu, and round it are several dolmen; in other instances they are scattered all others, mostly in ruins, as are also those on the round; and, in some few, a part of the cairn stogp north bank. In the large temple is a still remains against the sides of the dolmens. sila á á sana, apparently much older than the A dolmen beside this one is said to have present temple, bat so besmeared with white- been excavated by some European, and to have wash, oil, &c. that it is almost impossible to obtain yielded bones, earthenware, pottery, and ashes a satisfactory copy until it can be cleaned by or charcoal. But the hurried excavation of chemical means --for the incrustation is as hard these remains by inexperienced amateurs is as the stone, and any attempt to take it off greatly to be deprecated: it deprives us of much mechanically could only be made at the risk of information which only the skilled expert can damaging the inscription.
be expected to elicit on the spot. Around the The first group of dolmens is a little to the two just mentioned are several others, without south-west of the village, but, like the other capstones and otherwise damaged ; and to the two, it has suffered sadly at the hands of the south-west of them, there crop through the sand Wadaris-the worst enemies of ancient two or three large slabs, probably the capstones art,--who, without reverence, will break up of dolmens as yet undisturbed. The entrances the finest sculpture or inscription or level an are all to the south, or a little to the west of it. old temple for the sake of a stone that will Across two fields to the south-west is a still serve their purpose for a lintel or a door-post to larger group of these structures, of which five a cow-shed. In this group, only one stands or six still retain their capstones; others have nearly entire-that represented in the illustra- them lying broken; two are apparently undistion. It is not a very large one : the capstone turbed ; and of two others the covers still is a conglomerate slab, about a foot thick, 8 remain on the entrance passage; while thirty or feet long, and varying in breadth from 4 feet
forty have been ruined. All are surrounded by 2 inches to 8 feet; this is supported by five loose stones, with which there can be little doubt stones set on edge, namely two side-stones about they were originally covered. One of the entire 4} feet long each and 3 feet 8 inches high, a ones is 5 feet 9 inches high inside, 2 feet wide back 4 feet 3 inches long, and two stones in in front, and 4 feet 8 inches at the back, and 5 front about 2 feet wide each. The cell within feet 10 inches long. The entrance passage must is thas 2 feet 9 inches wide in front, 4 feet 3 have been 2 feet 6 inches high. inches at the back, and 4 feet long by 3 feet On the west of the road close by is one with the 8 inches high. The entrance at the south end capstone, but the east side slab is broken, and one between the front stones is 18 inches wide; and of the front stones has been removed. The enfrom the door two lower stones extend outwards trance passage appears to be undisturbed, and part about 5 feet, forming a sort of alley or passage of the cairn or mound still rests against a corner up to the entrance. Other examples, in another of it. Near this are also fragments of three others. group, show that this was a low covered passage Still further to the west are twenty or twentyby which the cell could be reached, when--as five more, three of them with capstones; one seems to have been the case with most of the with the cover quite recently chipped ; and a dolmens here--the whole structure was covered fifth that must have been been smashed by the over with small stones, and outwardly presented Waďáris very shortly before, if not in, February the appearance of a rough cairn. This covering last. One or two capstones here just show above
• Vide ante, p. 185.
