10,000 antiquities unearthed in eight archaeological sites in Tamil Nadu

Chennai: Graffiti marks numbering over 2,000 in Thulukarpatti, a ceramic floor level spread over an area of 20 metres, and a weighing scale made of crystal quartz in Keeladi, a Sangam Era site near Madurai, and further remains of a palace built by Rajendra-1 of the famed Chola dynasty and a huge ring well in Gangaikondacholapuram.

These are some of the exciting results of the latest season (2022-2023) of excavations by the Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology (TNSDA) which concluded recently.

Nearly 10,000 antiquities, including terracotta figurines, glass beads, carnelian beads, iron tools, a tiger miniature made in bronze, gold, and punch-mark coins, have been unearthed from the sites where excavations began in April.

Vembakottai tops the list with 4,600 antiquities, followed by Thulukarpatti (2,030), Pattaraiperumbudur (1,100), Keeladi (804), Gangaikondacholapuram (686), Porpanaikottai (482), and Boothinatham (133), and Kilnamandi (89).

Tamil-Brahmi inscription and miniature of Tiger

One of the significant findings is the discovery of 2,030 graffiti marks, including four with Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions, from Thulukarpatti in Tirunelveli district. This assumes importance with the state government embarking on a comparative study of the graffiti marks, potsherds, and the Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC) signs.

“We have so far found 4,600 graffiti marks in Thulukarpatti since digging began last year. This is a huge number and 10 of these grafittis are inscribed in Tamil-Brahmi. We hope that this discovery will greatly help us in the study,” Vasanthakumar K, Archaeological Officer (AO), told DH.

A pot sherd inscribed with the word Puli (Tiger) in Tamil characters, a miniature of Tiger made of bronze, and iron furnaces and slabs, are some of the other major discoveries in Thulukarpatti, close to Sivakalai, an archaeological site whose age is estimated to be 3,200 years.

The finding of a floor made by a mixture of clay and lime with a thickness of 3 to 6 cm in Keeladi, which is said to be 2,600 years old based on the carbon dating of artefacts found there, serves as further proof to the existence of an industrialised civilisation on the banks of River Vaigai.

“About two feet deep below this floor, archaeologists discovered a cluster of potsherds which includes black-and-red ware, red slipped ware, and red ware,” Ramesh M, AO – Keeladi, told DH. He added that 55 per cent of the artefacts found in Keeladi this season are glass beads followed by 21 percent of terracotta hopscotch.

Keeladi and Konthagai

A weighing unit made of crystal quartz, which is transparent in nature, a handmade snake figurine, glass beads, glass bangle fragment, gold wire, ivory dice in cubic and cuboid in shape, iron objects, and various objects made of terracotta were also unearthed from Keeladi.

With this, the number of artefacts found in Keeladi since the excavations began in 2014 has gone up to 19,000 – the first three phases were carried out by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) following which the TNSDA took over.

In Konthagai, perceived to be the burial site of Keeladi, archaeologists unearthed 24 urn burials and recovered over 110 black-and-red ware and red slipped ware alongside human skeletal remains from them. For the first time ever, a ring made of ivory has been found from an urn burial.

“This is the first time in nine years we have found evidence of a ceramic industry having thrived in Keeladi. In the past excavations, we proved with evidence that industries based on glass beads and terracotta also thrived there,” R Sivanantham, Joint Director, TNSDA, told DH.

“In all the nine phases of excavations in Keeladi so far, we have found ring wells which further bolsters our view that the site was an industrialised, urban civilisation,” Sivananthan said, adding that for the first time in three years, archaeologists have this time discovered a ring well in Gangaikondacholapuram close to the remains of the palace.

A 17-course ring well, a pillar made of stone, which is possibly an integral part of one of the entrances of the palace built by Rajendra-I in the ancient town, raised in memory of his father Rajaraja Chola, were also discovered from Gangaikondacholapuram.

“Other discoveries include further remains of the palace, a brick channel, and several Chinese wear that reiterate the trade ties that Cholas enjoyed with Chinese,” Prabhakaran, AO, Gangaikondacholapuram, told DH.

Burial grounds and Neolithic Age

In Kilnamandi, a Megalithic Age site in Tiruvannamalai district, archaeologists have excavated 12 burials which are primarily of two types -- cist burial with sarcophagus and pit burial. In total, 21 sarcophagus a sarcophagus — a coffin of terracotta, adorned with capstones, sculptures and inscription – have been recovered.

“Apart from this burial ground a small habitation mound was also excavated here. As a whole, this excavation provides valuable insights into understanding the Iron Age settlement in this vicinity and their mortuary practices,” Victor Gnanaraj, Director, Kilnamandi excavations, said.

He also added that carbon samples collected from a grave have been sent for AMS dating to scientifically place this site in a chronological time frame.

In Boothinatham, as many as 133 antiquities, including 43 shell bangles and 13 iron objects, were recovered.

“The goal is to discover the neolithic segment in Boothinatham and we have evidence to show a thin layer of Neolithic Age. But we believe this settlement was abandoned during the Neolithic Age and people came here and settled again during the Early Historic period which continued till the Medieval period,” Paranthaman, the site AO, said.

In Pattaraiperumbudur, where excavations resumed after a gap of six years, as many as 1,100 antiquities, including Stone Age equipment, and terracotta figurines have been unearthed.

In Vembakottai of the 4,600 antiquities unearthed, almost half of them are glass beads, while beads and figurines made of terracotta are 94 and 27 respectively.

In Porpanaikottai, archaeologists unearthed beads, glass bangles, Green stone, citril quartzes, glazed ware black ware, roof tiles, black and red ware, perforated ware, and brick structures.

The background

These findings come amidst repeated assertions by Chief Minister M K Stalin that his government will take every step to scientifically prove that India’s history will have to be rewritten from the Tamil landscape, in the light of findings in Keeladi and Sivakalai.

The archaeological excavations in Tamil Nadu have created a buzz in the past few years as they threw up surprises – artefacts unearthed in Keeladi near Madurai pushed the Sangam Era to 600 BCE from 300 BCE, rice husks found in a burial urn in Sivakalai was found to be 3,200 years old, and that Tamils were aware of the iron technology in 2172 BCE, 4,200 years ago.

The carbon dating has pushed the Sangam Era by three hundred years that it was thought to be – the ASI, which conducted the first two phases of excavation, also derived the period of the Sangam-era archaeological site to be between 8th century BCE to 3rd century CE.