A team of archaeologists and historians has discovered remnants of Iron Age and Satavahana era (230 BCE - 220 CE) from Mahabubnagar district of Andhra Pradesh, in Southeastern India. A series of 20 megalithic burial cairn circles have been reported on a hillock in Madugula village of Mahabubnagar region, AP Archaeology and Museums Department Director P Chenna Reddy said. "It's an important and first time discovery in Mahabubnagar," he added.
     An Archaeology team, headed by E Sivanagi Reddy, officer on special duty, discovered the site. The burials are encircled by 14 to 20 huge boulders, in which, the actual cist burials are topped by a huge capstone that are datable to 1000 BCE, Chenna Reddy said.
     The team, in its explorations, discovered a huge Satavahana site in an extent of 100 acres, littered with bricks, brick bats, red polished ware, shell bangle pieces, iron slogs and stone millers, datable to 1st century BCE to 2nd century CE on the north-east corner of the village, he said. "An earthen rampart with a moat is also noticed, confirming it as a Satavahana fortified settlement. The scientific clearance of the site may yield valuable material culture of the Satavahanas," Chenna Reddy said.
     The team also explored another two megalithic sites, located at Irwin and Charagonda in the district, wherein, about a hundred cairn circles were discovered by the team that are datable to 1000 BCE, Chenna Reddy said.

Edited from FirstPost (10 February 2012)