Keezhadi excavation

site

Keezhadi (also as Keeladi) excavat ion sit e is a Sangam age set t lement t hat is being excavat ed
by t he Archaeological Survey of India and t he Tamil Nadu Archaeology Depart ment .[1][2]This sit e
is locat ed 12 km sout heast of Madurai in Tamil Nadu, near t he t own of Keezhadi in Sivagangai
dist rict . It comes under t he Thiruppuvanam Taluk of Sivagangai dist rict . This is a large-scale
excavat ion carried out in Tamil Nadu aft er t he Adichanallur archaeological sit e. The set t lement
lies on t he bank of t he Vaigai River and it reflect s t he ancient cult ure of Tamil people.[3]
Epigraphist V. Vedachalam, who served as a domain expert for t he excavat ion, dat ed t he
excavat ed remains bet ween 6t h cent ury BCE and 3rd cent ury CE.[4]
 Keezhadi excavation site

Excavation blocks at Keezhadi

 Shown within Tamil Nadu
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Alternative name Vaigai valley civilization

Location Keezhadi, Tamil Nadu, India

Region Thiruppuvanam, Sivaganga

Coordinates 9.8630727°N 78.1820931°E (https://geohack.tool

forge.org/geohack.php?pagename=Keezhadi_ ex
cavation_ site&params=9.8630727_ N_ 78.182093
1_ E_ type:landmark)

Type Settlement

Area 32.37 ha (80.0 acres)

History
 Founded 600 BC–500 BC

Cultures Sangam period

Site notes

Excavation dates 2015–present

Archaeologists Amarnath Ramakrishna

Management Archaeological Survey of India, Tamil Nadu

Archaeology Department

Public access Yes

Location

The excavat ion was first st art ed in Pallisant hai Thidal which is in t he nort h of Manalur, about a
kilomet er east of t he t own of Keezhadi in Sivagangai dist rict . Various archaeological residues
were found when plowing t he land around t he sit e. A survey was conduct ed for t he st udy, which
found t hat t his ancient set t lement was less t han t wo and a half met ers below t he ground
level.[5] The area current ly being excavat ed is spread over 80 acres wit h a 3.5 km radius. The
ancient t owns of Kondagai and Manalur are also said t o be associat ed wit h t his region.[6]

Site's age

Init ially, t his sit e was est imat ed t o be from t he period bet ween 5t h cent ury BCE and 3rd cent ury
CE. Two samples were sent for carbon dat ing from t his excavat ion sit e for confirmat ion in 2017.
The result s t hat came in July 2017 confirmed t hat t he samples were from about 2,200 years ago
(3rd cent ury BCE).[7][8] Radiocarbon dat ing of samples obt ained from t he fourt h phase of
excavat ion revealed t hat one of t he art ifact s was from 6t h cent ury BCE.[9] In 2017, t he ASI sent
t wo samples from Keezhadi t o Bet a Analyt ic, a Miami-based radiocarbon dat ing laborat ory. The
laborat ory dat ed t he samples t o be about 2,300 – 2600 years old (from 3rd cent ury BCE).[10] In
2018, six carbon samples collect ed from t he fourt h phase of excavat ion were sent t o Bet a
Analyt ic in t he Unit ed St at es for Accelerat or Mass Spect romet ry (AMS) dat ing. It was found
t hat one sample collect ed at a dept h of 353 cm goes back t o 580 BCE.[11]

Background and status of study …

An archaeological survey was first conduct ed in 2013, by Archaeological Survey of India, in t he
vicinit y of t he Vaigai river from Theni dist rict t o Ramanat hapuram dist rict where t he river meet s
t he sea.[12] During t he st udy, 293 sit es, including Keezhadi, were ident ified t o have archaeological
residues.[13] The first t hree phases of excavat ion at Keezhadi were conduct ed by t he
Archaeological Survey of India while t he phases aft er t hat were conduct ed by t he Tamil Nadu
Archaeology Depart ment .

Phases of Keezhadi excavation

E…
First phase
E…
In June 2015, an Archaeological Survey of India group led by Amarnat h Ramakrishnan st art ed t he
first phase of t he excavat ion in t he area near t he Vaigai river in Keezhadi.

Second phase
E…
The second phase began on 2 January 2016. Various document s, including medical jars, ant ique
kit chen wells, and fact ory and government seals, were found. At t he end of t he second phase,
more t han six t housand art ifact s were found. It was confirmed t hat t hese art ifact s were 2,200
years old when t hey were t est ed by radiocarbon dat ing.

Third phase
E…
The t hird phase of t he excavat ion was conduct ed under t he chairmanship of Sri Ramanan of t he
Archaeological Survey of India from January 2017. The work ended on 30 Sept ember 2017. In
t he t hird phase, 16 digging sit es were select ed, t aking up a t ot al area of 400 square met ers,
which is 80 acres of land.[14]

Fourt h phase
E…
The fourt h phase of t he excavat ion was conduct ed bet ween 2017 and 2018, bringing out 5,820
art ifact s. This phase was conduct ed by t he Tamil Nadu Archaeology Depart ment while t he first
t hree phases were conduct ed by t he Archaeological Survey of India.[15] Six carbon samples
collect ed from t he fourt h phase of excavat ion at Keezhadi were sent t o Bet a Analyt ic, Miami,
Florida, USA for Accelerat or Mass Spect romet ry (AMS) dat ing; one sample, collect ed at a dept h
of 353 cm, was dat ed at 580 BCE.[16] The graffit i marks on t he art ifact s obt ained from t he
excavat ion sit e were found t o be similar t o t he Indus Valley script by t he excavat ors and t hus
lent credence t o t he long-held view t hat t he language of t he Indus Valley Civilizat ion was prot o-
Dravidian.[17]

Fift h phase
E…
In June 2019, t he Tamil Nadu Archaeology Depart ment began t he fift h phase of t he excavat ion
led by Dr R Sivanant ham.[15] This phase was complet ed in four t o five mont hs in which 15
t renches was planned t o be dug. In t he 5t h st age of excavat ion, Sangam-era bricks and more
t han 700 object s were found and t hese have been sent for t est ing.[18][19][20] Preliminary report of
t he fift h phase of excavat ions is nearing complet ion.[21]

Sixt h phase
E…
Sixt h phase of excavat ion along wit h simult aneous excavat ion in neighbouring villages (Manalur,
Kondhagai, and Agaram) began on 19 February 2020.[22]

Sevent h phase
E…
As of June 2021, sevent h phase of excavat ion is under progress.

Findings …
Brick wall found in the excavation.

Almost 48 square pit s have been cut and various st ruct ures and art ifact s have been found,
including frost s, brick walls, roof t iles, pot t ery, mimic accessories, skelet al t ools, iron Vel, and
Tamil-Brahmi let t er-et ched plat es.[16] This place is considered t o be Pandyan dynast y's cit y
called "Perumanalur", t he pioneer of lit erat ure.[23] The use of fired brick, t he size of t he building
complex, an array of pot s placed in such a way t hat it must have been used eit her as a lamp or
for paint ing, and ot her findings suggest t hat t he set t lement is of a more civilized populat ion t han
was previously suspect ed during t he Sangam period.[24][25]

Canals and sewage system

E…
Wat er supply and wast ewat er are considered as import ant landmarks of civil development . At
t he bot t om of t he set t lement , t here are buildings wit h a sewage canal facilit y made of ceramic
t ubes.

Ring wells and brick walls

E…
Ancient eart henware and ring wells have been found.[26] Archaeologist Velappan said t hat t his
proves t he ancient t radit ion of Tamils indicat ing t hat t hey used t hese wells in river shores and
ponds for wat er.[27] Brick buildings are considered rare in ancient t imes but a large number of
brick buildings have been found.[28]

Pottery
E…
The roulet t ed, arret ine-t ype ceramics brought by merchant s demonst rat e business connect ions
wit h t he Roman Empire. It is not ewort hy t hat such product s have been discovered. Furt hermore,
black and red parchment fragment s and whit e-colored black, red papillae and reddish-pit t ed
pieces have also been uneart hed.[29][28] There are Tamil words engraved on t he pot t eries t hat
ment ion t he names of individuals like 'Aat han', 'Ut hiran' and 'Thiesan'.[23][30]

Pottery

Tamil-Brahmi script and graffiti marks

E…
In t he fourt h phase of excavat ions at Keezhadi, 72 pot sherds wit h Tamil-Brahmi script were
discovered at t he sit e. Some of t hese art ifact s have inscribed graffit i marks, similar t o graffit i
marks which some believe t o have evolved from t he Indus script .[31] According t o T.
Udhayachandran, t he art ifact s found at Keezhadi excavat ion sit e may point t o a link bet ween t he
script s of t he Indus Valley Civilizat ion and Tamil-Brahmi.[32] Based on t hese marks, and one
Keezhadi findings of t he fourt h phase which was dat ed t o 580 BCE, R. Sivanant ham and M. Seran
argue t hat t he dat e of t he earliest at t est at ion of Tamil-Brahmi can be pushed back t o t he 6t h
cent ury BCE,[11] a few cent uries older t han Dhamma Lipi (Prakrit in t he Brahmi Script ) of Ashokan
Edict s, which is st at ed t o be dat ed from 268 BC t o 232 BC.[33] These claims have been
challenged. It is not clear whet her t he pot sherds cont aining inscript ions were found in t he same
archaeological layer as t he 6t h cent ury samples, and Universit y of Calcut t a archaeologist
Bishnupriya Basak said t hat "This unfort unat ely is not clear from t he report and is very crucial,"
adding t hat t he issues of "layer, period and absolut e dat es" needed clarit y. Dravidian Universit y
archaeologist E. Harsha Vardhan said t hat a single report was not enough t o "st at e scient ifically
t hat t he Tamil-Brahmi script belongs t o t he sixt h cent ury BC”.[34]

Ornaments and antiquities

E…
Ornament s have been found including sponges, marble, agat e beads, green, yellow and blue glass
beads.[35] The findings also include elephant t usks, copper oint ment and sheet s of wire.[36] Rare
art ifact s including iron edged corners, gold ornament s,st ylus, t erracot t a st amps, diaphragm t iles,
firefly t oys have been found as well.

Controversy …

In 2017, some Tamil academicians, including V Arasu (t he former head of t he Depart ment of
Tamil Lit erat ure at t he Universit y of Madras), alleged t hat t he Bharat iya Janat a Part y-led cent ral
government had made deliberat e at t empt s t o st all t he excavat ions at Keezhadi. Arasu claimed
t hat t he BJP government had a Hindut va agenda, and want ed t o st op t he Keezhadi project
because t he excavat ions at t he sit e provided an "undeniable evidence of a secular cult ure in
Sout h India".[37][38]

The ASI normally conduct s excavat ions at a major archaeological sit e for five seasons (years).[39]
In 2016–17, aft er t he conclusion of t he second season at Keezhadi, t he ASI t ransferred t he
Superint ending Archaeologist (SA) K. Amarnat h Ramakrishna t o it s Guwahat i circle.[40] This
caused a cont roversy in Tamil Nadu, leading t o allegat ions t hat t he ASI had deliberat ely
t ransferred t he SA t o st all t he project .[41] K. Amarnat h Ramakrishna st at ed t hat he want ed t o
complet e t he excavat ion work at Keezhadi, and challenged his t ransfer order before t he Cent ral
Administ rat ive Tribunal.[40]

The ASI clarified t hat t he t ransfer was ordered in accordance wit h t he organizat ion's policy,
which mandat es t hat t he maximum t enure of an SA in a part icular circle is only for t wo years. K
Amarnat h Ramakrishna had complet ed more t han t hree years at t he Excavat ion Branch VI,
locat ed in Bengaluru, under which t he Keezhadi sit e has been excavat ed. So, t he ASI decided t o
replace him wit h P S Sriraman, who had earlier served as a Deput y SA in t he Jodhpur circle.[40] K
Amarnat h Ramakrishna was not t he only officer t o be t ransferred; 26 ot her officers had been
t ransferred all over India. Moreover, t he newly-appoint ed SA P S Sriraman was a nat ive of Tamil
Nadu.[41]

The Union Minist ry also clarified t hat it had no int ent ion t o st op or delay t he excavat ions at
Keezhadi. It also explained t hat t here was a delay in allocat ion of funds for t he t hird season of
excavat ion, because t he minist ry had not received t he report for t he work done in t he past t wo
years on t ime. Once t he report was submit t ed, t he minist ry immediat ely cleared t he funds for
t he t hird season of excavat ions at Keezhadi.[39] The report s of t he first t wo years of research
will be released as a book.[42]

Gallery …

The following phot ographs were t aken at t he excavat ion sit e on 11 Oct ober 2016.
 See also

Arikamedu

Adichanallur archaeological sit e

Kodumanal

References

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2. "Keeladi | Department Of Archaeology" (https://www.tnarch.gov.in/keeladi) . www.tnarch.gov.in.

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15. Padmini Sivarajah (13 June 2019). "Fifth phase of Keeladi excavations begins" (https://timesofindia.in
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1 . "Keeladi - An Urban Settlement of Sangam Age on the bank of Vaigai River" (http://www.thehindu.co
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%E0%AE%B5%E0%AF%86%E0%AE%B3%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%A8%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%9F%E0%AF%8
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F%8D%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%A4%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%AE%E0%AF%8D-%E0%AE%B5%E
0%AE%A3%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%AA%E0%AF%8D-%E0%AE%AA%E0%AF%86%E0%AE%B
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3 . "தைலநகராக இ த கீழ அழி த எ ப ?- தக கா ச ய ெதா ய

ஆ வாள ெதரிவ த த ய தகவ " (http://tamil.thehindu.com/tamilnadu/%E0%AE%A4%E0%A
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als-secular-culture-says-academic-tn-minister-denies-71247) . The News Minute.
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39. Rajasekaran RK (29 April 2017). "Centre not for stopping excavation at Keezhadi: Tourism Minister
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topping-excavation-at-keezhadi-tourism-minister-mahesh-sharma-1598951.html) . New Indian
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40. Rajasekaran R K. "Transfer of Keezhadi excavation site archaeologist final, says ASI" (http://www.newi
ndianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2017/apr/24/transfer-of-keezhadi-excavation-site-archaeologist
-final-says-asi-1597000.html) . 24 April 2017.

41. Padmini Sivarajah (28 April 2017). "Keeladi excavation will be completed in five years, Union minister
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ars-union-minister-says/articleshow/58420328.cms) . The Times of India.

42. கீழ அக வாரா ச பணிக 5ஆ க நீ .. .40 ல ச நத ஒ கீ -

ம த ய அைம ச (http://tamil.oneindia.com/news/tamilnadu/keezhadi-excavation-continues-5-yrs
-minister-mahesh-sharma-281188.html)

External links

A dead cit y beneat h a living village (ht t p://www.t hehindu.com/feat ures/met roplus/societ y/ke
ezhadi-archaeological-excavat ion/art icle7557728.ece)

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title=Keezhadi_excavation_site&oldid=106072366
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