MAHBUBNAGAR: Pre-historic grooves used by the early Neolithic people to sharpen stone axes have been found at Indiresam, a village in Patancheru mandal on the outskirts of Hyderabad.
Dr E. Sivanagi Reddy, archaeologist and chief executive officer, The Cultural Centre of Vijayawada and Amaravati, has received approval to identify the grooves on Tuesday during his explorations conducted at the site that is located close to a Shiva temple located on a hillock.
A shallow groove found on the rock bed towards the left side of the stone flag staff of the temple, measuring 20cm in length 3 cm in width and 5cm in depth, was used to sharpen the dolerite celts by the Neolithic people. The grooves were dateable to the period between 6,000 and 2,000 years BC, during the phase when the transition occurred from food gathering to food production.
Based on the evidence, Dr Reddy surveyed the surroundings for tools of the Neolithic period but could notice microliths of the Mesolithic period and broken stone sculptures of Nandi Anjaneya, Saraswati and Nagadevatha of the medieval period. He appealed to the state department of heritage to conduct further probings around Indiresam village to know the archaeological potential of the Neolithic site.
