Brahmagiri
Topic: Prehistory: Human Origins and Stone Age Cultures · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Brahmagiri is an archaeological site in Chitradurga district, Karnataka. It has several layers, one above another. The lowest is Neolithic (early farmers using polished stone axes). Above that is a megalithic layer (burials marked with big stones), and on top an early historic layer. Mortimer Wheeler dug here in the 1940s. His work gave south India a clear timeline of its cultures.
Example
An Ashokan minor rock edict was found at Brahmagiri. It shows that Ashoka's empire reached as far as northern Karnataka. Wheeler's dig in 1947 recorded the change from Neolithic to megalithic to early historic life at the same site.
Don't confuse with
- Brahmagiri hills near Nashik (Maharashtra): this is where the Godavari river rises. It is not the archaeological site in Karnataka.