Thavasimuthu, and Indian archaeologists, is claiming that a series of holes carved in a rock at Pannamparai village could be the prehistoric version of a traditional 'mancala' board game known locally as Pallanguzhi. The holes were discovered during a ground study by Thavasimuthu and his students.
     Pallanguzhi is a traditional game played in rural areas. It is normally played on boards and before boards emerged, people played the game by making holes in rocky areas. Thavasimuthu claimed that the holes represent several things, including the earliest human settlements, the impact that the game had on human lives and also the adjacent trade routes. He further said that the game was even used to settle disputes between kings and had avoided several wars as the winner of the game was considered the winner of the dispute.
     After examining the holes, Thavasimuthu said, "The Pallanguzhi holes should be at least 10,000 years old." He added that the holes would normally be made with axes but in the case of holes found at Pannamparai village, the holes were made using stones. He added that similar holes were earlier found in Pazhani hills and they date back 25,000 years.

Edited from The New Indian Express (16 November 2014)