Radiocarbon dating of stone structures provides evidence

Pre-historic megaliths and tools discovered in Meghalaya’s Ri-Bhoi district indicate that the Khasi tribe had made the State their home since around 1200 BCE. A megalith is a large stone that forms part of a prehistoric monument.

Archaeologist Marco Mitri and a team of academicians from the North Eastern Hills University excavated the archaeological site near Lummawbuh village in the northern slopes of Sohpetbneng (Heaven’s Naval) peak near the NH-40.

Mr. Mitri said they found megalithic structures, and iron implements that date back to the prehistoric period in the ridge spreading over 1.5 k.m.

Neolithic site

The excavation at Lummawbuh is the first one of a Neolithic site in Meghalaya.

“We had sent over 20 tools and implements including grains to Beta Analytic, a Miami-based lab for radiocarbon dating to confirm their age. The tests confirmed that these were dated back to 12{+t}{+h}century BCE,” Mr. Mitri said.

The megalithic structures are used in the traditional mortuary practices that were followed by the tribes till a few decades ago. “These Neolithic structures were first discovered in 2004. It took at least a decade to confirm the existence of a settlement in the area till about 200 years ago,” Mr. Mitri said.

The British Archaeological Reports had in 2009 published Mr. Mitri’s work — ‘Outline of Neolithic Culture of Khasi and Jaintia Hills’.

The archaeologist had also edited a book titled Cultural–Historical Interaction and the Tribes of North East India , which was published in 2010. — PTI