Etched in stone
The tunnel-like cave is 11.87m long, with an entrance 3.22m high and 2.22m wide. These include a group of 18 cupules near a spring on the route to Pasumaadu Parai,” he said.
The Gudiyam Caves and their surroundings date from the Palaeolithic to the Microlithic period, according to the archaeologists. Explaining about the new undocumented discoveries at the prehistoric sites, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Research and Education), I Anwardeen said the survey team led by Sudhakar Nalliyappan from Yaakkai Trust, Coimbatore recorded raw materials, flakes, partly broken stone-tool cores and anthropogenic polish inside the caves. President of the Trust Sudhakar Nalliyappan said over the past four months the team documented a cave known locally as Vavaal Cave (Bat Cave). Its levelled and regularly shaped interior suggests it may have been modified by humans, the reports said. A senior forest official said a report in this regard has been submitted to the state govt.
“Cupule marks, which are small cup-shaped hollows on rock surfaces, were recorded at five locations around the caves. The inscription adds a historical dimension to the Gudiyam forest region, which has so far been known mainly for its prehistoric remains. It shows that the landscape was used by people long after the prehistoric period. Further documentation and investigation are continuing, Anwardeen added.