GUWAHATI, June 12 - The State Directorate of Archaeology in collaboration with the Dima Hasao District Archaeology Department has excavated a large number of megaliths from Khobak, some 110 km southwest of Haflong. The site is located on a plateau close to Khobak village inhabited by Baite people.
During the excavation, megaliths of different sizes � tapered base with round top megaliths having various curves and designs, menhirs (upright stone) having curves, dolmen, stone circles, cylindrical pillar-shaped megalith tapering towards base with round table-shaped top � and a stone jar were found.
Among the six varieties of megaliths, the tapered base with round top are found in large numbers, said Nabajit Deori, technical officer of the archaeology directorate, who supervised the excavation work.
Dr Deepirekha Kauli, Director, 0Archaeology and P Jamie, Cultural Officer, Dima Hasao constantly monitored the excavation work.
The Khobak megalithic site is adjacent to the historic Khobak stone jar site, which was discovered by JH Hutton and JP Miles in 1932. Khobak stone jar site is one of the largest stone jar sites of the world.
The megalithic site was discovered by the archaeology directorate in 2015 and till then it was not known to the people outside the Khobak area.
Deori said the megaliths found at Khobak are minutely curved, designed and decorated. The raw materials used to curve out the megaliths are soft sand stones, he said.
Other antiquities found at the site are very less in number and these include a few iron implements, nails and iron dowels, etc.
The curving and designs suggest that the megaliths were either contemporary or older than the stone jars of Dima Hasao, Deori said.
