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previously been engaged in cutting blocks of laterite for building purposes at the western end of his ground, when suddenly the block, which one of the workmen was engaged upon, fell out of sight, disclosing a hollow in the ground. There was a rush of workmen from the spot in terror of the demons who are supposed to haunt such places, but after a time they mustered up courage to examine the place, and found one or two small earthenware pots lying at the bottom of the cell (D) thus disclosed. The pots were duly sent to the Tehsildar, who forwarded them with a report to the Collector; the cell was inspected, the block of stone closing the entrance to it (see the plan) was partially broken, but no further exploration was made, and the superstitious fears of the people had served since then to prevent any further search being made even for buried treasure.
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
On digging into the floor of what turned out to be the first (D in the ground plan) of a group of cells, we came upon a large number of earthenware pots of different shapes and sizes. These pots had evidently been carefully filled with earth before being buried, and their extreme brittleness, owing to damp, coupled with the fact that most of the specimens were found in excellent preservation, made it likewise sufficiently evident that the contents of the cell had not been tampered with. As cell D. was being cleared out, we discovered by means of a break (at A) in the partition wall the existence of a second cell (E). Cell E was opened by cutting down to it through the laterite rock, and similar openings were made into cells F and G, whose existence was similarly ascertained by breaks in the partition walls at B and C. All four cells were found to be about half filled with earth, and on clearing them out a large number of earthenware pots, a bill-hook of iron, a number of small iron chisels, scraps of iron which had formed portions of other bill-hooks or weapons, and a double iron hook for suspending a lamp or for some other purpose were found buried in the earth. A careful outlook was kept for coins and bones, but none were found. A few scraps of charcoal likewise
1 Two of the pots in the second illustration will be seen to be full of a whitish substance. Both of the oil vessels in the topmost tier were also full of apparently the same
[NOVEMBER, 1879.
found are pronounced by Dr. Bidie of the Central Museum at Madras to be wood charcoal, and some of them from the position in which they were found were certainly portions of the wooden handle of one of the iron instruments found. The second illustration, copied from a photograph, kindly taken by the Revd. Mr. Sharp, Chaplain of Calicut, will give a better idea than any detailed description in words could do of the character of the articles found, and the tape line stretched across the picture will give an idea of their size.
When the four cells had been cleared out, it became manifest that the entrances K, K, K, K, closed by means of blocks of laterite, led into a central cell or courtyard, H, and measures were accordingly taken to have this also explored. It was then found that this central space or courtyard was not roofed in like the cells. Nothing was found in it except the remains of the iron sword, about 26 inches in length, which was buried point upwards, and slightly inclined backwards towards the middle front of cells E and F. The section through W X gives an idea of the appearance of the front (facing eastwards) of cells E and F, the entrances to which are recessed in the manner shown by the lines, the depth of each recess being from one inch to one and a-half inches.
The ground plan and sections give only a rough approximation of the dimensions of the originals, for the cells, though exactly uniform in design, are not constructed with much exactness.
The people of the neighbourhood had no tradition respecting these remains, of the existence of which they were entirely ignorant until they were revealed by accident, as related above. The opening up of the cells excited much curiosity among all classes, and the general opinion was that it had been the abode of sages, or rishis, -a riśyásramam a hermitage.
None of the articles found, and nothing about the cells themselves, sufficed to fix the religious belief of the constructors, and I feel inclined to regard them as sepulchral remains. Against this view it may be urged that no bones were found. Still, on the other hand, the bodies may have been burnt and the ashes' only placed in the cells; the pottery found was similar to such
substance. What it was I had no means for determining.
Some of the smaller vessels have the peculiar black polish described by Dr. Caldwell, Ind. Ant. vol. VI., p. 279.
