Keeladi Excavation Findings:
Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has stated that the report on the Keeladi excavations, submitted by archaeologist Amarnath Ramakrishna, is not yet “technically well-supported” and requires further scientific studies.
- Keeladi is a village in Sivaganga district, Tamil Nadu, situated along the Vaigai River, about 12 km southeast of Madurai.
- Excavations began in 2015, initially led by the ASI and later by the Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology after a period of administrative dispute.
- Over 18,000 artefacts have been discovered, including pottery, inscribed potsherds, gold ornaments, copper articles, semi-precious stones, shell and ivory bangles, glass beads, spindle whorls, terracotta seals and weaving tools.
- The site has yielded heaps of pottery and over 120 potsherds with Tamil Brahmi inscriptions, indicating the long survival of the script and literacy in the region.
- Findings suggest Keeladi was a well-planned urban settlement with evidence of industries such as pottery, weaving, dyeing, and bead-making.
- Artefacts like agate and carnelian beads indicate trade networks, while items such as dice and hopscotch pieces reveal leisure activities.
- The findings have pushed the Sangam Age in Tamil Nadu back to around 800 BCE, suggesting a much older and advanced civilization than previously thought.
- Some symbols on Keeladi artefacts resemble those of the Indus Valley Civilization, though a cultural gap of about 1,000 years remains. Scholars hope further studies will clarify these connections.
- The Sangam Age, often referred to as the Tamil Sangam period, marks an important chapter in South Indian history.
- Named after the assembly of Tamil poets and scholars known as the Sangam, this era witnessed a rich cultural and literary flourishing in the southern regions of India.
