VIRAPATTI SHELTER
9.882200,77.883300
Description
An archaeologically excavated rock shelter in unspecified rock (note 1), which yielded a Mesolithic habitational deposit, reported SELVAKUMAR (1996: 31). SITUATION: SELVAKUMAR (1996: 31) locates his »Veerapatti shelter« at N09°52'56": E077°53'00' (unspecified geodetic datum, probably Everest 1830), in the vicinity of the village of Virapatti / Veerapatti (note 2), and in the Upper Gundar basin (note 3).
NOTE 1: IMPERIAL GAZETTEER (1907-1909, 16: 387): »Madura District … The rocks of Madura district consist chiefly of foliated biotite gneiss, probably in reality a gneissose granite, in which are amasses of granular quartz rock, also probably of igneous origin. At certain localities, such as Pandalugudi and Tirumal, bands of coarsely crystalline limestone occur in the gneiss. Charnocktite is found in the the western part of the District, the Palni hills being entirely composed of that rock. In the Varushanad Hills are hornblende schists and granulites, penetrated by veins of mica-bearing pegmatite. Subrecent calcine grits of marine origin form a fringe along the coast from Cape Comorin to the channel between the mainland and the island of Pamban. Laterite covers a considerable part of the District. Further particulars will be found in Mr. Bruce Foote's account in Memoirs, Geological Survey of India, vol. xx« (FOOTE 1883). NOTE 2: The village of »Veerapatti« (SELVAKUMAR 1996: 29, figure 2 location map) is indicated as »Virapatti« near N09°48'00”: E077°48'45” on AMS sheet NC43-12 Rajapalaiyam (U502 series, 1955 edition) and thus at a linear distance of 11.6 km approximately south-west from the »Veerapatti shelter« (N09°52'56": E077°53'00' unspecified geodetic datum, probably Everest 1830, SELVAKUMAR 1996: 31). NOTE 3: The Upper Gundar basin between N09°30': E077°30' and N10°00': E078°00' and covers parts of the Survey of India sheets 58-G09, 58-G/10, 58-G13, and 58-G/14.
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11.3 | KANAVAIPATTI SHELTER | ||
| 14.3 | KANAVAI KATHA BOOTHAM CAVE 1 | ||
| 14.3 | KANAVAI KATHA BOOTHAM CAVE 2 | ||
| 14.4 | PANNIAN MALAI CAVE | ||
| 16.7 | PERAYUR 3 (Cave at) | ||
| 18.0 | PERAYUR 2 (Cave at) | ||
| 18.3 | ANAIPATTI, Madurai (Cave on) | ||
| 18.4 | SAMANAR CAVE, Nagamalai 1 | ||
| 19.8 | SAMANAR CAVE, Nagamalai, 2nd |