Stalin visits Keeladi excavation site

Chief Minister M K Stalin on Friday visited Keeladi village where archaeological excavations conducted since 2014 have created a buzz with significant findings that link the artefacts with the Sangam Era.

Stalin visited Keeladi, the once nondescript village near Madurai where archaeological excavations have entered the seventh phase and inspected the trenches from where artefacts were unearthed. The seventh phase of excavation came to an end on September 30 and work on writing a report on the findings is on.

T Udhayachandran, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister who as the Archaeological Commissioner published a report on the findings during the fourth phase, and officials from the Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology (TNSDA) took Stalin around the excavation site and gave a presentation.

Stalin also visited a hall where some of the artefacts that have been unearthed since 2017 when the TNSDA took over the excavations from the Archaeological Survey of India are displayed. He was also briefed on the work on building a museum at nearby Konthagai village where all artefacts found during excavations in Keeladi, Konthagai, and Agaram will be displayed.

Keeladi is a Sangam Era site and the archaeological excavation in the village has been mired in controversy. After unearthing over 5,000 artefacts from Keeladi, the ASI had in 2017 said there was no “significant finding” during the third phase and wanted to end the excavation. However, the Madras High Court intervened and allowed TNSDA to take over from ASI.

Artefacts found during the fourth phase have established that the site belongs to the Sangam Era. Carbon dating of artefacts found that they are 2,600 years old pushing the Sangam Era further by 300 years. The findings encouraged the TNSDA to expand the excavations to Sivagalai in Thoothukudi where carbon dating of a paddy husk revealed its age as 3,200 years old.

During the seventh phase, a ring well incised with the decorated fish symbol was also unearthed, in yet another evidence that the site belonged to the Sangam Age.

The fish symbol, which is an integral part of the flag believed to have been used by the mighty Pandiyan Kingdom, was found incised on a ring well that looked like a design.

Archaeological findings in Keeladi and Sivagalai in the Thoothukudi district have created a buzz with researchers and archaeologists in Tamil Nadu calling them significant as they “narrow down” the gap between the Tamil urban settlements and the Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC). However, they say “more evidence” should be forthcoming.