Keeladi/ Keezhadi
(→Historical legacy) |
m (Jyoti moved page Keezhadi to Keeladi/ Keezhadi without leaving a redirect) |
Revision as of 06:02, 30 November 2020
This is a collection of articles archived for the excellence of their content. |
Historical legacy
Artefacts excavated
The Hindu, November 16, 2016
The Madras High Court Bench asked the Archaeological Survey of India to explain why the artefacts excavated from Pallichanthai Thidal of Keezhadi in the Sivaganga district should not be taken to its Chennai Circle office, instead of the Bengalaru Circle Office, for scientific cleaning, analysis and detailed documentation of the antiquities.
A Division Bench of Justices S. Nagamuthu and M.V. Muralidaran passed the interim order on a public interest litigation petition to prevent the ASI from taking away the artefacts to Karnataka, filed and argued in person by lawyer Kanimozhi Mathi.
The judges also directed the Director General of ASI to consider the plea for establishing a site museum at Keezhadi and inform the decision to the court, possibly by November 24, 2016 itself.
The orders were passed after recording the submission of the Tamil Nadu government that it had already made a commitment to provide 72 cents of land for the establishment of a site museum, and was ready to provide even more, if required.
However, in his counter-affidavit, K. Amarnath Ramakrishna, Superintending Archaeologist, ASI, Excavation Branch-VI, Bengaluru, said the establishment of the site museum was a policy matter that could be taken only at the highest level.
‘National property’
Replying to the petitioner’s contention that the artefacts reveal the existence of an ancient Tamil civilisation and thus should not be moved outside the State, Mr. Ramakrishna said: “I submit that the excavated remains at Keezhadi can better be named and referred to as ‘National Heritage’ rather than calling it the pride of the Tamil community... Any antiquity or material retrieved from archaeological excavations are national property.”
“The objective of the exploration was to ascertain a suitable site for the systematic excavation to understand the cultural transformation of early historic Tamil Nadu,” he said.
Pointing out that the excavation work for the second season was stopped on September 30, he said the approval for the third season (2016-17) was yet to be received from the Director General’s office. Fearing for the safety of the antiquities if they were continued to be stored at the camp site at Keezhadi, he said they could be documented only if they were taken to the Bengaluru Circle Office and subjected to scientific cleaning and analysis.
Artefacts belong to Sangam era
Samples sent from archaeological excavations at Keezhadi have been identified as nearly 2,200 years old
For several years, experts had surmised that the archaeological site at Keezhadi in Sivaganga district of Tamil Nadu dates back to the Sangam era.
Now, carbon dating has confirmed that two samples sent from the site are indeed nearly 2,200 years old.
The Keezhadi dig that started in 2013 provides archaeological evidence of ancient Tamil life that has so far been known largely from texts like Sangam literature.
While replying to DMK MP Kanimozhi in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, the Union Ministry of Culture informed the Upper House that the Archaeological Survey of India had sent two carbon samples from Keezhadi for carbon dating to Beta Analytic Inc., Florida, USA.
Historical calendarcol
“Radio Carbon dating suggests that the samples go back to 2,160+30 years and 2,200+30 years,” stated the Ministry.
Archaeologists found deposits up to 4.5 metres deep and the samples (of carbon elements) sent for carbon dating were from the middle part – i.e. 2 metres, says ASI’s Superintending Archaeologist K. Amarnath Ramakrishna in Guwahati who led the excavations in Keezhadi earlier.
“We can now say for sure that the samples were from 3rd century BC,” says Mr. Ramakrishna.
Major find
Unlike many other archaeological sites excavated in Tamil Nadu, Keezhadi is a major habitation site.
“The last time habitation sites were excavated in Tamil Nadu was at Arikamedu. We zeroed in on Keezhadi after studying both banks of Vaigai river through its entire stretch from Western Ghats till the point it reaches the Bay of Bengal,” he says.
A total of 72 potsherds with Tamil Brahmi script were found at Keezhadi which had several Tamil names.
“Iyanan, Uthiran, Vendhan, Santhanavathi and Saathan were some of the Tamil names found,” he says. When asked whether the Archaeological Survey of India was planning to set up any museum at Keezhadi, Superintending Archaeologist of Chennai Circle A.M.V. Subramanyam said such policy decisions have to be taken at New Delhi.
