In 2013-2014, the Archaeological Survey of Republic of Republic of India had laid out to explore the regions along the banks of river Vaigai inward Tamil Nadu. Theni, Dindigul, Madurai, Sivaganga too Ramanathapuram districts all were business office of the 293 sites ready to unearth artefacts too ruins to discovery the civilization that mightiness accept existed aeons ago.
 |
| View of the excavations inward a kokosnoot plantation at Keezhadi [Credit: R. Ashok] |
Three months into their excavation, the site began yielding interesting finds similar beads made of glass, terra cotta too fifty-fifty pearls. Other discoveries included figurines, roof tiles too also pottery.
One item digging surface area named – Pallichandai Thidal – was brimming with potential finds. The surface area – slightly elevated to 2.5 meters higher upward reason score – is a mound with a circumference of 3.5 km, spanning eighty acres.
Due to this item elevation of the Pallichandai Thidal, the site was relatively undisturbed too hence, housed intact bricks mensuration 33 cm inward length, 21 cm inward breadth too v cm tall.
 |
| Earthen pot with foliage ornament unearthed at the ASI's digging site at Keezhadi [Credit: R. Ashok] |
The exquisitely crafted pot 72 cm broad too 42 cm long was found past times an ASI squad led past times Superintending Archaeologist K Amarnath Ramakrishna.
Combine that with other findings similar pottery with a Tamil-Brahmi script, the initial supposition of the town belonging to the Pandyas was materialising.
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 fossilised slice of os was also found which could accept been used every bit an arrowhead, indicating the usage of weapons. Not alone that, foursquare copper coins of Pandyan Peruvazhudhi with Equus caballus too turtle motifs were also found at the surface level, pointing towards the fact that the social club used currency inward its day-to-day life.
 |
| Excavation of brick construction at Keezhadi [Credit: G. Moorthy] |
Two similar pots of dissimilar shapes accept emerged inward other pits of the digging site. The huge ruddy pot, which is amongst a multifariousness of earthenware discovered inward the area, was found embedded amongst a H2O storage facility.
The facility farther pointed to or so other pregnant fact: the advancement of the social club too the abode during that time.
With such interesting finds, the digging was extended to or so other year, too what they would become on to discovery would alter pre-established notions.
 |
| Black too ruddy pottery found at the ASI's digging site at Keezhadi [Credit: ASI] |
Meanwhile, the digging was shedding low-cal on the history of Tamil Nadu. The archaeological squad had dug upward 53 trenches, an extraordinary number, considering the supposition that at that spot was no large urban settlement; simply these findings proved the opposite.
Noted epigraphist V Vedachalam told The Hindu that the antiquities found at Pallichandai Thidal reaffirm the belief that nestled amidst iii ancient places — Konthagai, Keezhadi too Manalur — was an urban settlement that had merchandise links with North Republic of Republic of India too the western world during the Sangam Age.
Brahmi-inscribed pots, pastime games similar dice, graffiti of the Sun too the moon, all hinted towards a sophisticated civilisation on the banks of river Vaigai. All these led to the determination that the Sangam menses was means advanced than it was before idea to be.
 |
| Brick construction found at the ASI's digging site at Keezhadi [Credit: ASI] |
In the meantime, the results of carbon dating from the Florida lab had emerged, too the artefacts were dated dorsum to 200 BC. This meant that the findings related to a civilisation existing during the Sangam period.
Speaking to The Hindu, Mr Ramakrishna, who heads the digging projection inward Keezhadi, said, “So far, at that spot has been an impression that urban civilisation did non be inward Tamil Nadu. The excavations too carbon dating accept disproved the opinion.”
As of the now, the 100-acre site has yielded 13,000 artefacts, to a greater extent than than plenty to found the notion of a flourishing civilisation that existed on the banks of the Vaigai.
 |
| Well found at the ASI's digging site at Keezhadi [Credit: R. Ashok] |
Keezhadi is i of the most revered archaeological sites inward India, owing to its habitation, which seems to co-exist with the menses of the Harappan civilisation; a theory which had no footing fifty-fifty vi years ago.
Author: Ahmed Sherrif | Source: The Better Republic of Republic of India [October 15, 2018]
Sumber http://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com
Buat lebih berguna, kongsi:
