The Junapani megaliths

One of the 300 Stone Circles of Junapani. Photo Credit: Wikipedia.

The megaliths of Junapani are precisely Stone Circles and there are around 300 of them. The megaliths are spread to an area of about 10 kms and are on the road from Nagpur in the Vidharba region of Central India, to Katol.

The earliest date of human habitation in the region can go back to about 1000 BCE. Therefore the earliest megaliths here has been dated to 1000 BCE. The monuments were first discovered and excavated in 1879 by J.H.Rivett Carnac. The excavations revealed cairn burials. The grave finds were bracelets, hoes, axes, chisels with long blades and tongs etc.  The datings were done by  these iron finds.

Among the cultural finds were Black, painted Red, micaceous Red and coarse Red pottery. B.K.Thapar  had excavated a few sites in 1961. Two circles revealed human remains and an animal of the horse family. Thapar also found Middle Paleolithic tools and stone pestles. excavation also showed sticky black clay around the funerary finds. Excavation also revealed that a few circles were non-sepulchral as well.

The Archaeological Survey of India have made a detailed study of about 56 of these ancient Circles and have assigned protection to these megaliths and they declared them to be monuments of national importance. 

Cupmarks have been found in about 20 stones of these circles. Profound research by Tata Institute of Fundamental Research have made them opine that these cupules could have  astronomical significance. The orientations noted of these cupmarks are to 118, 208 and 334 degrees towards the north. Research shows that these directions could be that of the rising and settings of certain stars during various seasons as that of monsoon.