A Neolithic axe has been discovered around 175 kilometres south of Hyderabad. Dr E Sivanagireddy, archaeologist and CEO, Cultural Centre of Vijayawada and Amaravati, found the tool while on a survey of archaeological remains in and around Somasila village, on the left bank of the Krishna river. The celt measures about 100 by 50 by 25 millimetres, with very sharp ground and polished edges.
     The tool has a patina of lime and ash, indicating it was dumped in a pit after use. Based on evidence from a nearby village in which a Neolithic habitation was excavated in the early 1980s, Dr Sivanagireddy dates the tool to between 4,000 BCE and 2,000 BCE,  when domestication of animals, intensification of agriculture, and settlements began in the region. Neolithic tools such as discoids, pestles, and grinding stones were recovered two decades ago from the same village.

Edited from The Times of India (28 December 2020), The Hindu (27 December 2020)