Introduction
The
latest discoveries in the field of Archaeology have brought to light, the
movement of the early man in Goa. A possible
land route of entry is postulated as being through the area marked
as NH-17 or from the
Malaprabha – Ghataprabha region
(from neighboring Maharastra state).
A
number of stone tools of an early period have been found in many places such as
in the Malangini cave, at the basin of Mandovi at Shirgao, and other places.
At the same time, early stone tools have also been discovered in the
adjoining regions of the neighboring states of Maharastra and Karnataka i.e. at
Malvan and Karwar. There have also been
found, evidence of microliths and chalcolithic pottery in Goa.
The
discovery of rock carvings at Pansaimal and Kazur, points to the possibility of
the early man being an inhabitant here. During
this period, the early man was both a hunter and a gatherer of food.
He was probably residing in the natural caves in the area.
Later on, he began leading a settled life with domestication of animals
and the development of agricultural systems. These developments over time helped
the early man perfect his techniques and today we can see their most beautiful
examples in the carved caves and temples at Ajanta and Ellora in neighboring
Maharastra state.
Table
of Caves in Goa
As
far as Goa is concerned, there are in all a total of 25 man made caves
discovered so far, spread over 9 talukas. They are ....
