A model made in this Museum illustrates a megalith excavated at Brahmagiri in Mysore. This is the typical stone cist burial known as a Porthole Cist constructed in this manner. A pit was dug and lined with four roughly trimmed rectangular slabs 5 feet by 6 feet in a Swastika pattern locking the four sides to prevent falling in.

    There was a floor slab on which the four upright slabs rested. The top of this was covered by a massive capstone. The upright slab on the eastern side has a circular porthole about two feet in diameter. The funeral pottery, iron objects and beads were introduced through the porthole and lay on the floor slab. This was filled up to 6 inches with earth over which the excarnated long bones and skulls were introduced so as to be in the centre. Along with the bones pots were put in. The earth was put in through the porthole, which was then closed, and the entrance walled up. The stone cist was then surrounded by one or two circular or oval dry stone walls then surrounded the stone cist. The top of the cist rose 3 feet above the ground level and was heaped up with earth and small stones. Large stone boulders about 4 feet in diameter were, put in to form the stone circle which is about 20 feet in diameter. The stone boulders lie more than half-buried in the ground.

    At the entrance to the Adichanallur Gallery is a very large earthenware Sarcophagus dug up at Sankavaram in Cuddapah district. This unique zoomorphic or animal-like sarcophagus depicts the head and body of a ram though it has six legs. This was obtained from an excavation conducted by this Museum and had a number of megalithic pottery specimens and a few iron implements disposed around it, besides, the usual collection of excavated human bones. The legs are in two rows, are higher and the dome is built in sections with a separate attachment for the head.