The site under consideration is megalithic burial complex at Hire Benkal in Gangavati Taluka, Koppal District, state of Karnataka, INDIA, a Centrally Protected Site under Archaeological Survey of India, Hampi Circle. The site is located on top of castellated granite hillock within the zone of peninsular gneissic complex of the Dharwad series of rocks. The site is approachable from 3kms southeast of Hire Benkal village.
The megaliths on the hill, encompassing an area of nearly 20 ha. are situated at three different localities, spread in an east - west orientation, together to a distance of about 1 km. The three clusters could be classified as the western group, central group and the eastern group. The distance between each cluster is roughly 200m. The western group lies close to a granite quarry of the Megalithic period, which also served as a perennial waterhole. Several subtypes that have been identified at Hire Benkal are as follows: Port-holed Dolmenoid Cist – Circles, Oblong Dolmenoid Cists or Cists with or without port-holes, Irregular polygonal chambers, Rock Shelter Chambers, Anthropomorphic, etc.
Leonard Munn, in 1934-35, first published the report about 3 rock paintings near the well-known groups of megalithic dolmens reported earlier by Keis, the Scottish Missionary, in Hire Benkal bouldery hill ranges of granite-gneiss. Munn also noted as ash mound near the village. Dharwad Circle, Archaeological Survey of India, undertook excavations at two habitation sites, i.e. Durgadi Dadi and Talavarmule, in the vicinity of Hire Benkal.
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