During the course of explorations, a lower Palaeolithic site at Shigao on the Dudhasagar river was located from where a unifacial chopper was found.
Open campsites of the middle Palaeolithic period were located at Arali and Fatorpa. The former site, situated on a plateau, about a kilometer away from the sea-shore, is fairly extensive. The industry, on quartz, is characterized by irregular cores, arrow-heads, awls, points, scrapers and a few blades on short thick flakes.
Upper Palaeolithic open-air sites were discovered in the river valleys of Chapora, Mandovi, Dudhasagar and the upper reaches of Rachol. The industry, chiefly on quartz and only occasionally on black theft, is characterized by fluted cores, blades and blade-flakes, lunates, awls, points, burins and scrapers. The sites of this category were often located on the hill-plateau or flat area at the base of the hills.
Brahmanical caves, excavated in laterite rock, were found at Naroa and Surla in Taluk Digholi and Karanjale, Pissurlem, and Sonal in Taluk Valpoi. The cave at Pissurlem and Surla seem to belong to circa sixth-seventh century AD, while those at Karanjale and Sonal, on the banks of the river Mahadai, belong to a much later date. Temple ruins and sculptures of the medieval period were noticed mostly on the lower reaches of river Rachol.
The sides of the water tank at Naroa, situated near the ancient mound, are carved with miniature temples. The plinth of some of the temples at Gulli and at Karanjale were found to have been built during the medieval period, while the superstructure was constructed during nineteenth century AD. The well-preserved Saptakote4vara-Mahadeva temple at Opa, originally built during the medieval times, was reconstructed later.
Besides, hero-stones of the medieval period were found at Amona, Bally, Betakai, Collem, Lamgao, Molcarnem and Verdi and mutilated Jaina tirthankara images at Cotombi and Gaundongrem.
Content sourced from asigoacircle.gov.in
