Munnar has acted as the summer residence of the British residents in Travancore. Higher peaks like Anamudi on the eastern border of the Idukki district have acted as a natural boundary between the Malayalam kingdoms and the contemporary Tamil kingdoms in the past, thereby reducing invasions into the region from the neighbouring Tamil country as well as from other parts of the Indian peninsula. The 17th century Dutch work, Hortus Malabaricus, contains information about the flora and fauna of the region at that time. Pre-history Archaeological findings found from the district include dolmens of the Neolithic era in the Marayur area. They are locally known as "muniyara", derived from muni (hermit or sage) and ara (dolmen). Located on the highest point of elevation on the Peninsular India, the Cardamom Hills and its surrounding regions were inhabited by human beings during the Megalithic age itself. Numerous Megalithic monuments have been discovered from the mountainous regions of the district. The remnants of numerous Kodumkallaras and Kallaras have been found from various places at Marayur in Devikulam taluk. Megalithic remnants of Kallaras and Nadukkallus are also found at Kallarpattam colony in Udumbanchola taluk. Huge Kodumkallaras and Nadukkallus were discovered from the excavation sites in Vandiperiyar region as well. The Megalithic monuments found from Idukki show numerous similarities with the contemporary remnants those discovered from Deccan plateau and other parts of the South India. Usage of Iron was common in the Megalithic culture of Deccan. The district of Idukki was inhabited by various tribes like Malavedas, Malayarayas, Muthuvans, and Paliyans, during the early period of its human history. Classical Antiquity Ancient Roman coins have been found from the regions like Edamaruku near Thodupuzha, indicating ancient trade between the Ancient Rome and the region during the Classical Antiquity. Spices might had been imported from the region as a part of the ancient Indian Ocean trade. Idukki district is still known as The Spice Garden of Kerala. The Chera dynasty/The Keralaputras (upto 5th century CE) The literary works of the Sangam period help to take a look into the contemporary period. According to those works, early members of the Chera dynasty (first few centuries of the Common Era) had their original headquarters in a region called Kuzhumur at Kuttanad in the ancient Tamilakam and were sometimes known as the Kuttuvans. Some historians have identified Kuzhumur with Kumily in Peerumade Taluk of the Idukki district. The Chera