In 2015, the Department conducted a landmark excavation at Pullur village (Siddipet Mandal), about 115 km from Hyderabad. This 20-acre site, at the foot of a granite outcrop, contains around 30 burials of diverse types — dolmens, stone circles, menhirs and cairn circles.

Key discoveries

Burial I featured massive capstones arranged in an anthropomorphic (human-shaped) form with grinding grooves, suggesting use as a tool-making centre in the preceding Chalcolithic period; a nearby 5-metre menhir bears a rare rock bruising depicting a "Mother Goddess". Burial III yielded a 31 cm basalt figurine with prominent female genitals, pointing to a fertility cult. The grave assemblage included a 110 cm iron spike/lance, daggers, arrowheads and sickles, ironsmith's tongs, a terracotta ring, and pottery in redware, black-and-redware and blackware.

Significance

The elaborate burials and grave goods point to a firm belief in an afterlife, while sickles and domesticated animal remains suggest an agro-pastoral economy. Pullur shares similarities with the Vidarbha megaliths of Maharashtra and strong regional ties to North Telangana sites like Pochampad, Kadambapur and Peddabankur.

The Narmeta megalithic site reflects continuous human occupation from the Neolithic period through the early historic and medieval eras. Field seasons in 2016–2017 examined a complex of over 30 burials near the Narmeta Vagu rivulet.

Monumental discoveries

Burial Meg-I (a Double Circle Menhir) yielded a massive human-shaped capstone measuring 6.70 × 4.00 m — likely the largest of its kind recorded in South India. Meg-II is a classic stone circle with a central pit covered by oval capstones. Finds included perforated fire stands (a first for the region), unique diamond-shaped bone ornaments worn as garlands, and a significant cache of iron implements — knives, hooks and scrapers — recovered from nearly 2 metres depth.

Dating

Based on associated pottery and iron implements, the site is tentatively dated to the 1st century BC – 2nd century AD. Petrous bone samples have been sent to CCMB for DNA analysis to determine the ancestry of the inhabitants.

The early historic site of Pajjur, in Thipparthy Mandal, spans 35 acres around a habitational mound locally known as “Pativara” or “Pati Dibba”, near the Varrivagu stream. The site rose to prominence during the Satavahana (2nd century BCE) and Ikshvaku periods, with Roman coin finds in the region pointing to maritime trade with the Roman Empire.

Key findings

Excavations revealed substantial brick structures including an apsidal Chaitya Griha, suggesting Pajjur was once a major Buddhist establishment. A surface find of inscribed black polished pot sherds bears Brahmi characters reading “Bu-dhi-Sa”, dated to the 2nd century CE. Other antiquities include terracotta and glass beads, shell bangle pieces, and black-and-red ware ceramics.

Under the direction of Dr. P. Nagaraju, excavations at Chada — at the junction of two rivulets, on ancient east–west trade routes — revealed a flourishing monastic complex active between the 1st and 3rd centuries CE.

Architecture

A sophisticated brick-built monastic complex was uncovered, including two phases of apsidal Chaityagrihas (Satavahana and Ikshvaku), three rectangular Vihara units with nine cells each, and a circular stupa with an eight-spoke wheel plan characteristic of the mature Amaravati school.

Antiquities

Two Brahmi inscriptions in Prakrit were found, one containing the earliest known inscriptional reference to the term "Attakatha Bhanaka" (reciter of Buddhist commentaries). Twelve coins (lead, potin and copper) were recovered, along with limestone Buddha sculptures and over 230 bangle fragments in glass, shell and ivory.

Palamakula, about 13 km from Siddipet on the Husnabad road, reflects a deep chronological sequence: a massive Megalithic burial complex, an Early Historic settlement at Pathuru, occupation during the Kalyani Chalukya period (10th–11th century AD, noted for its Trikuta Shiva temple), and later Zamindari settlement under the Nizams.

Key findings

Four burials (Meg-I to Meg-IV) were investigated using the quadrangular excavation method. Meg-I, Meg-II and Meg-IV revealed orthostats arranged in a distinctive swastika plan; Meg-II featured a unique "double circle" construction 8 metres in diameter; and Meg-IV contained a rare "cist-within-a-cist" comparable to Yeleswaram. Iron tools, red ware and black-and-red ware pottery, and osteological remains (sent to CCMB Hyderabad for DNA analysis) were also recovered.

Phanigiri is one of the most significant Buddhist monastic settlements in Southern India, on a 150-foot hilltop along ancient trade routes connecting Gajulabanda, Tirumalagiri and Nagaram. It is a protected monument, with excavations spanning seven field seasons from 2001 to 2019.

2018–2019 discoveries

A 24-pillared congregation hall (17.05 × 10.55 m), a circular Chaityagriha 12 m in diameter, an octagonal Chaitya, four Vihara units, and a 6-metre votive stupa were exposed. A landmark find was a life-size (1.73 m) stucco Bodhisattva image in Ikshvaku-period style (3rd–4th century CE).

Recognition

A total of 166 antiquities were recorded, including 81 coins. Phanigiri is the only site outside the Amaravati school to yield panels depicting Buddha Jataka stories; masterpieces have been exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (2023) and the National Museum, Seoul (2024). In March 2024, a hoard of 3,730 lead coins from the Ikshvaku period was discovered in a monastic cell.