Nedumala caves, Piralimattam

The Nedumala Caves are in Piralimattam. They are located on the border of Idukki district and Ernakulam District in Kerala state, India. Piralimattom Nedumala hills is a prehistoric site. Caves well carved on granite rock and stone shelter are here. According to Dr. P. Rajendran, an archaeologist and UGC Research Scientist, caves are points towards its chronology to the Neolithic period of around 4000 BC.

cave entrance
cave entrance
Cupules in cave piralimattam nedumala

The three caves discovered at Piralimattam in Nedumala have elaborate petroglyphs in cupules and shallow grinding surface. At Piralimattam there are many concave cupules and grinding surfaces, both completed and in-completed. Even at the floor levels sight, excavations in future may unravel early Stone Age evidences from the thick deposit within the caves.

Prehistoric rock-shelter
Prehistoric stone shelter

It is a man made shelter of the Prehistoric past having a large single rock slab of 4 meter length, 2 m width and 1.5 feet thickness which rests on two rock out-crops of 5 feet height. Shelter is in north-south direction and its opening is on the eastern side. Shelter has 5 feet height and can accommodate two or three people inside. Placing and carrying of such a heavy rock slab requires number of healthy human being and teamwork. The shelter seen at Paralimattam in Nedumala of Ernakulam district has no characteristics of a Dolmen or Muniyara of the Megalithic culture but is definitely a man made shelter in the past, possibly yet another type.

Location

Piralimattam nedumala is in Manjalloor panchayath of Ernakulam district, Kerala. It is 3 km from Kadalikkadu and 5 km from Vazhakulam. Travellers have to negotiate a difficult terrain, cover a two-kilometre-stretch on the Kavana Pulukkayath kadavu via Kadalikkadu and scale small hills on the way.Google Map

References

[1] [2] [3]

  1. Raman, Giji K.; Raman, Giji K. (23 November 2013). "A hamlet steeped in history, hidden in the mists of time". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  2. K.raman, Giji; K.raman, Giji (17 April 2014). "Prehistoric rock shelter discovered". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  3. Kannan, Ajith (10 April 2014). "Inscriptions Discovered at Piralimattam Cave". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 24 April 2018.

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