Glimpse of Monoliths - Lost City of Vangchhia
Vangchhia.
The lost city of Vangchhia-the largest necropolis site in the world can be found in Champhai District near Khawbung Village. Kawtchhuah Ropui (The Great Entrance way)is a natural heritage site marked with 171 ancient carved stones. The 171 menhir stones in the village became Mizoram’s first protected archaeological site in 2012. The ancient graves and the 200 meters long water pavilion that has been unearthed are all key to a lost civilization. The distance from Aizawl to Vangchhia is
The village of Vangchhia is located in the Champhai district, Mizoram, India. There are around 180 menhir stones of different shapes and sizes in this village that are fully carved. The largest of these menhirs measures 1.5 m in width and 30 cm in thickness. The menhirs have carved images of humans, various animals and weapons. On each of these menhirs you will find one main figure of a human, with or without a head dress. Locals believe that the ones with head dress might be warriors. In most tribal societies of this region, a cluster of memorial stones were traditionally erected in the entrance of settlements in commemoration to their dear ones, braves or outstanding persons who won victories in war or hunting untamed animals.
The area is part of the Lower Himalayas and has rows of steep hills largely made up of various kinds of sandstone shading from light grey to blackish. The site, measuring about 45 sq km has yielded pictographs etched on large stone slabs, large standing stones, a necropolis, a water pavilion, ancient iron artifacts and old pots, both broken and whole, among other artifacts. The ancient people of Vangchhia also carved terraces on rocks for their settlement — the main excavated site consists of 15 such terraces. The date of Vangchhia settlement has not been confirmed yet, initially, it was thought to be from the 15th century.
However, recently neolithic caves were discovered near Vangchhia, indicating that the lost civilization could be much older.
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