ghatroads - South India Travel and Tourism Guide

The Formation of Edakkal Caves

These are not technically caves, but rather a cleft or rift fissure caused by a piece of rock splitting away from the main body. On one side of the cleft is a rock weighing several tons that covers the cleft to form the 'roof' of the cave. The carvings are of human and animal figures, tools used by humans and of symbols yet to be deciphered, suggesting the presence of a prehistoric settlement. The petroglyphs inside the cave are of at least three types. The oldest may date back to over 8,000 years. Evidences suggest that the Edakkal caves were inhabited several times at different points in history.

History of Edakkal Caves

The caves were discovered by Fred Fawcett, a police official of the erstwhile Malabar state in 1890 who immediately recognised their anthropological and historical importance. He wrote an article about them, attracting the attention of scholars.

Unique Features of Edakkal Caves

The rock surface is full of linear motifs and one can see weird shaped figures, crosses, triangles, tridents, squares, stars, wheels, spirals, plant motifs, pot shaped items, various animals and human figures. Many of the human figures have raised hair, some have masked faces and all these figures are eye-catching and have archaeological significance. Apart from these pictorial carvings, ancient inscriptions including a Tamil Brahmi script have been identified from the caves.

Images of a tribal king, a queen, a child, a deer and an elephant can be seen on the wall. A human figure with headgear, another on a wheeled cart and some male and female figures too can be seen. There are images of tools used by earlier human beings and many other symbols which suggest the presence of pre historic men.

The recent outcomes of the researches and excavations at the Edakkal Caves indicate its probable links with Indus valley civilization. There were about 400 signs that were recently identified and have significant link with the Indus Valley Civilisation and the prominent one among these signs is 'a man with a jar cup'. This has been the distinct motif of the Indus Valley civilisation and the presence of such signs indicates that the Harappan civilisation (2300 BC to 1700 BC) was active in south India too.

Ambalavayal Heritage Museum

Ambalavayal Heritage Museum is an archeological museum with one of the largest collections of relics dated back to the 2nd century A.D. The showcased objects are proof of an advanced civilization that perished in the Wayanad Mountains. The remnants exhibited at the Ambalavayal Heritage Museum range from clay sculptures and archaic hunting tools such as bows and arrows to stone weapons and hunting traps. Curios and ornaments that tribes that lived here used, musical instruments and pottery that date back to the Megalithic Age can be seen in this heritage museum in Wayanad.