Molapalayam

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Neolithic period

Pit houses

Ragu.Raman, May 3, 2026: The Times of India

The site at Molapalayam, near Coimbatore, dates to the Neolithic period
From: Ragu.Raman, May 3, 2026: The Times of India

Chennai : Archaeologists from Tamil University have unearthed rare “pit houses” dating to the Neolithic period at Molapalayam, near Coimbatore, in the foothills of the Western Ghats.


The agro-pastoral community that lived here 3,500 years ago could have used the pits in their houses to store grain or protect themselves from natural disasters, archaeologists said. Some pits had querns, or grinding stones, suggesting they could have been used as kitchens.


Excavators found skeletal remains of two infants, confirming that ancient people buried their dead near their habitation. 
“Another Neolithic site in Paiyyampalli, in Tirupattur district, excavated in the 1960s, had similar pit houses,” said archaeologist V Selvakumar from the department of maritime archaeology at Tamil University, Thanjavur.


The study of bone and plant remains suggests people from the Neolithic period reared cattle, sheep and goats, and cultivated millet and pulses. Artefacts such as shell pendants suggest they had contact with coastal communities. “The site has ancient grinding stones in good numbers, which could have been used for grinding grains and seeds. An earthen lamp and assemblage of pots found at the site show they were skilled in pottery,” said Selvakumar.

The site produced burnished ceramics and varieties such as burnished red ware, black ware and blackand-red ware, and coarse red ware. Archaeologists also found stone tools such as hand axes, hammer stones, arrowheads, microliths and bone tools. Researchers said the ancient people could have lived here during the high rainfall season from June to Dec and shifted to the area near the Siruvani river in the drier months of Jan to May. 
 Archaeobotanists identified plant species by collecting charred remains of seeds and examining taxonomic characteristics. Analysis of bone remains revealed the presence of animals, including cattle, buffalo, goats, sheep, pigs and dogs. Remains of wild animals such as nilgai, blackbuck, gazelle, chital, leopard and wildcat were also found. Cut marks on bones suggested they hunted deer for meat.