Topikal and kudakkal
Also called: Hat-stones and umbrella-stones · Topic: Prehistory: Human Origins and Stone Age Cultures · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Topikal and kudakkal are megalithic burial markers of Kerala. Megalithic means built with large stones, usually over graves. A topikal ("hat-stone") is a dome-shaped stone placed over a burial pit, like a cap. A kudakkal ("umbrella-stone") is a dome-shaped stone resting on four upright slabs, like an umbrella. They belong to the Iron Age and show how people of early Kerala honoured their dead.
Example
Hat-stones and umbrella-stones are common in Thrissur and Malappuram districts of Kerala. Burials under them often contain iron objects, black-and-red ware pottery and beads.
Don't confuse with
- Menhir: a single tall standing stone. Topikal and kudakkal are dome-shaped caps or umbrellas over a grave.