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 Noncet Market. Near the small town of Mawphlang, some 25 kilometres from Shillong the capital of Meghalaya, is this fine group of monoliths and cromlech tables. Much damaged in the great earthquake of 1897, abandoned and now over-grown, it is nevertheless not forgotten. Known as an important market for this region it is being studied by present day academics. The approximate date of erection is probably around the 10th century AD and it's use as a thriving market persisted into the late 19th century. |
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The cromlechs.
The standards of quarrying which produced the stones for this site were superb. 
These great plates, several metres, across are often less than 30 cm, (12 inches), in thickness. Originally each table was supported by short pillars of stone. The tables were the display places for the produce of the stall- holders. |
| The monoliths.
These uprights are highly accomplished examples of quarry-men's rivening. This blade is over 18 feet, (5.5m), tall, less than 2 foot, (0.61m), wide and less than 9 inches, (0.23m), thick. The stone is a local type of hard sandstone. It is not clear why the Khasi went to so much effort for a seemingly commercial site. For an even greater display of Meghalayan commercial megalithic architecture see: Nartiang Market. |
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| Drill marks.
Several of the monoliths show clear signs of drilling. These close set holes were drilled, presumably, to hold numerous wooden wedges which would then be driven simultaneously by hammering or soaking with water. The expansion of the wedges, or pegs, may shatter the rock in a clean cleavage. This is a technique employed by European slate- miners in the 19th and early 20th centuries using blasting technology but black- powder, (gunpowder), was not introduced to Meghalaya before the mid- 19th century AD by employees of the East India Company. 
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Iti was just completing her doctorate thesis on Noncet Market at the University of Shillong, in 2006.  |
Nartiang Market. Mawsmai Village. Ummonoi Living Root Bridge. |
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