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- The meglithic monuments include the dolmens, cists, rock-cut caves, thopikallu, pulachikallu, kudakkallu etc. All of them are associated with burial system. ‘Nannangadi’ was the burial jar.
- The important palaeolithic sites are valuvasseri (Nilambur) and Tenkara (Palaghat)
- The mesolithic sites are Walayar (Palaghat), Mankara, Tenmalai (Kollam)
- Kerala is believed to have originated by the withdrawal of sea, when Parasurama threw his axe from Gokarnam to Kanyakumary.
- The oldest book which mentions about kerala is ‘Ithareyaranyakam’.
- The author of Keralappazhama is Dr.Gundert.
- Kalidasa’s Reghuvamsam mentions about Kerala.
- Parasurama divided Kerala into 64 villages and donated them to Brahmins.
- Famous Rock-cut caves in the Ambukuthi hills in the Wayanad district is known as Edakkal Caves. It is the greatest example of megalithic culture in Kerala. It was Fred Foset who first studied about the pictures on these caves in 1901. Later this research was continued by Dr.M.R.Raghava Warrior and Dr.Rajan Gurukkal. Archeological excavations conducted in 2009 September on this site discovered the figure of ‘a man holding a vessel’ which resembles the Indus valley seal. It shows the relationship of megalithic culture of Kerala with Indus valley culture
- Writings in the Edakkal Caves belonged to the Dravida Brahmi script.
- The prehistoric people of Kerala belonged to the Negrito race and Proto Australoids.
- From 3000 BC onwards Kerala had trade relations by sea with the Indus Valley people
- Early inhabitants of Kerala belonged to the last phase of Middle Stone Age.
- Chathanparambu near Farrokh is a famous prehistoric site in the Malabar region
Muziris
Kodungalloor is the present name of ancient port, Muziris. It was also the trade centre with Romans. It was known by different names such as ‘Murichipathanam’ in Ramayana, ‘Muchiri’ in Tamil works, ‘Muyiricode’ in Jewish Plate etc. The ancient historian plini mentions that Muziris was an important port in ancient India. It is also believed that the birth place of Aryabhatta (the ancient astronomer), Ashmakam is in Kodungalloor. Muziris lost its importance due to the flood in Periyar in the year 1341. This lead to the coming up of Cochi port
Sources of Kerala History
Keralolpathi, Kerala Mahatmyam, Raghuvamsam, Mooshaka vamsam, Unnuneeli Sandesham, Unniyadi charitham, Chandrolsavam, Unnichiruthevi charitham, Malabar Manual, Hortus Malabaricus.
