A large number of Iron Age burials, dating back to 3,000 years, have been discovered at Hutridurga Fort area in Turuvekere taluk of Tumkur district.
The burial sites, found on an agricultural land on the eastern foothills of Hutridurga, are in circular shape and contain pottery and iron weapons, among others.
The site was discovered by H.G. Rajesh and Puttaraju, history lecturers in Government PU College at Sheegehalli in Turuvekere, recently.
Several pottery pieces and other antiquities have been unearthed from the burials and some potteries have graffiti on it.
The pottery recovered in Hutridurga is similar to the ones found in Savandurga Iron Age site, they say.
“Because of our interest in history, we go to fort areas almost every week. We found the burial site during one of the explorations,” the lecturers said.
“Incidentally, this area also has iron ore deposits and the connection between Iron Age culture and iron ore is to be studied,” they said.
The lecturers fear that many such unnoticed sites may disappear owing to increased quarrying.
Historically, Hutridurga Fort was the military bastion of Tipu Sultan against British, which was conquered by the latter in 1791.
It also has a 1534 A.D. inscription of Nadaprabhu Kempe Gowda.
“This is the first time that such burial sites have been discovered in this region. This indicates that the fort area had been inhabited even before Kempe Gowda’s period,” said S.K. Aruni, Deputy Director of Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR).
The presence of graffiti on the pot also shows continuity of habitations from Bangalore region, he said.
“Hutridurga burial culture is also unique for ‘Kalluseve’, a rare burial practice where the dead body is not buried but kept in open for animals or birds to eat. After four to five days, people go back and collect the bones that are later buried.
“This is a unique practice found in south India,” Dr. Aruni said.
