J.W.Breeks, the first Collector of the Nilgiris, in response to the call letter from the authorities of the Indian Museum, Kolkata had arranged to unearth more than four dozen megalithic burial sites within the Nilgiris in 1873 and was able to acquire antiquities from therein. Dr.F.Jagor, the German Anthropologist of Berlin collected prehistoric antiquities (especially of megalithic period) both from Adichanallur and Nilgiris.
Interestingly, while the Breek's collections have reached the Government Museum, Chennai (on the one hand) and the British Museum, London (on the other hand) the collections of Jagor were retained at the National Museum of Berlin. In short, the antiquities of Megalithic Nilgiris, at present, are housed in three different Museums, viz., the Government Museum, Chennai, the British Museum, London and the National Museum, Berlin.
Dr.C. Maheswaran, Curator for Anthropology, Government Museum, Chennai has studied and documented the 'Decorated Pottery Lids', one of the unique set of artefacts of the Nilgiri Megalithic antiquities, recently. I am indeed happy to bring this documented study of the 'Decorated Pottery Lids of Megalithic Nilgiris' as a new publication during this year 2008-2009, with the financial assistance of both Government of India and Government of Tamilnadu.
I hope that this work will be a useful reference work for the scholars, students and general public who are interested in the Megalithic Studies of Tamilnadu, in general and the Megalithic Studies of the Nilgiris, in particular.
The Nilgiris forming a significant land mass of the Western Tamilnadu is not only a paradise for tourism but also a valuable survey area for the experts of various disciplines, like prehistorians, archaeologists, anthropologists, art historians, linguists, folklorists, naturalists owing to its potential resourcefulness on all possible domains of study. Such significance of the Nilgiris was realized even during the British colonial period. For instance, J.W.Breeks, the first Collector of the Nilgiris in 1873, not only documented the accounts of the Primitive Tribes of the Nilgiris but its archaeological wealth, as well. During 1876 Dr.F.Jagor, the German Anthropologist carried out his field explorations in and around the Nilgiris and decamped with a sizable collection of the Nilgiri Megalithic finds to Berlin.
While the collection of Jagor on Megalithic Nilgiris are housed, at present, at the National Museum, Berlin, their corresponding collection of Breeks were send both to the Government Museum, Chennai and the British Museum, London.
Among the Nilgiri Megalithic finds, the pottery lids remain as a topic of interest and attraction due to the presence of decorated motifs (of anthropomorphic, zoomorphic, phytomorphic and inanimate object) atop them.
In this monograph of 'The Decorated Pottery Lids of Megalithic Nilgiris' not only the lids concerned are studied and documented but the various conjectures for their presence are discussed as well.
I wish to record my deep sense of gratitude to our Principal Secretary/Commissioner of Museums Dr.T.S. Sridhar, I.A.S., for having included this work as a new publication of 2008-2009.
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