Coutesy : The Hindu
Unearthing an advanced and vibrant civilisation at Keezhadi
Updated: June 4, 2016 09:09 IST | S. Annamalai
Many
brick structures oriented in cardinal directions have been found at
Keezhadi where the Archaeological Survey of India has taken up extensive
excavation. Photo G. Moorthy
Second phase of excavation throws up evidence of a huge urban settlement, a rarity in the State
:
More artefacts unearthed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in
the second phase of its ongoing excavation at Pallichanthai Thidal of
Keezhadi in Sivaganga district point to an ancient civilisation that
thrived on the banks of the Vaigai. Further excavation could establish
it as Vaigai Valley civilisation, similar to the Indus Valley
civilisation.
Archaeologists at the site opine that the brick
structures and antiquities conform to the parameters that describe a
civilisation.
This
will dispel the popular theory that ancient Tamils lived as tribals and
urbanisation happened much later. In the first phase of excavation,
done in 43 quadrants from February to September 2015, brick structures
and Rouletted and Arretine pot shreds that suggested trade links with
other parts of the country and abroad were unearthed.
Significant finds
Among
the significant finds in the second phase, which began in January, are
two big-sized storage jars placed one above the other and connected to
an underground terracotta pipeline and a two-layered furnace. “We have
dug up 53 trenches in this phase to look at continuity and nature of
structures. This is definitely a huge urban settlement, a rare one in
Tamil Nadu. Its character as Vaigai Valley civilisation can be brought
out through large-scale excavation over a decade,” says K. Amarnath
Ramakrishna, Superintending Archaeologist, ASI.
A clear picture of
the sophisticated habitat is emerging now with stone structures,
oriented in cardinal directions, suggesting systematic urban planning.
Pot shreds with Tamil Brahmi inscriptions point to the presence of a
highly literate society. Graffiti of the sun and moon demonstrate that
they had “astronomical sense” too. “The level of sophistication can be
gauged from luxury and pastime items like the ivory dice, a game of an
elite society,” says M. Rajesh, Assistant Archaeologist.
An in
situ find of an engraved pot clearly places the site between second and
first century BC. However, field experts are of the view that it cannot
be compared to Harappa, except in terms of size. Harappa and Keezhadi
are separated by time and distance of 1,200 years and over 2,000 km
respectively. Senior epigraphist V. Vedachalam, who is the domain expert
for the excavation, says that though Tamil Nadu had a unique culture
during the Sangam period, micro-level variations have to be established
through archaeological evidence, and antiquities found at the site will
eminently serve the purpose. Keezhadi, according to him, is a site of
abundant social, political and commercial significance. Existence of
river valley civilisations in Tamil Nadu can be established by
undertaking large-scale excavations on both the banks of major rivers.
Archaeologists
are confident that Keezhadi will emerge as an “index site” to determine
the culture of people living between Sangam and post-Sangam periods.
The ASI team has sent a proposal for extending the excavation into the third phase.
Further excavations could put ‘Vaigai Valley civilisation’ on a par with Indus Valley civilisation
