Hyderabad: Neolithic grooves dating back to 4000 BC are found on a hill located on the left bank of River Krishna at Pavurallagutta village in Pedda Adicharla mandal, Nalgonda.
As part of the explorations conducted in connection with the five-day tour guide training program organised by the Buddhavanam project, Dr. E. Sivanagireddy, Buddhist Expert Consultant, Buddhavanam Project (TSTDC) spotted these grooves on Thursday.
He said this site was explored and reported for the first time and deserves for further probe to learn about its full potential. He said the spot is located at around 1000 feet from the river bed and 150 feet from the full reservoir level of Nagarjunasagar.
It was a habitat of the pastoral Neolithic people and the grooves, which measure between 3 to 5 cms in diameter and 1cm in depth formed out of grinding the granite or dolerite sling balls that were used to drive out birds and animals damaging the crops, he informed.
Sivanagi Reddy identified a few rock shelters and natural caves inhabited by the Neolithic men opposite to the site and a good number of grooves were noticed on the slopes of the terraced hill down to the reservoir.
This reveals that the Neolithic site at Pavuralagutta may have been a factory site or a production centre of Neolithic implements such as chisels and sling balls.
Sivanagi Reddy opined that Pavuralagattu Neolithic site, which commands a panoramic view of Nagarjunakonda valley with a chain of hills, bears lot of significance to develop it as an archaeological and ecotourism destination that complements the Buddhavanam project already attracting huge tourist influx on a regular basis.
Initially, a viewpoint and trekking track and minimum tourist amenities could be set up, adds. Buddhavanam OSD K. Sudhan Reddy, R. Nageswara Rao, Gosangi Saidulu and locals from Pavuralagutta participated in the exploration.
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