Archaeologists discover remains of Sangam age near Madurai
In Keeladi, in the Sivaganga district of Tamil Nadu, 12 km from the bustling city of Madurai ,the Bengaluru-based Excavating Branch of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has made a spectacular discovery. A group of archaeologists and researchers have quietly unearthed the crumbling remains of an ancient urban centre, equal in size and importance to that of Mohenjo-daro. “It’s certainly a startling discovery,” says assistant archaeologist M Rajesh, who is part of a team of 10 archaeologists who have been working in Keeladi since 2013.
Over two phases of excavations so far, over 3,000 antiquities have been unearthed that are believed to date back to the early Sangam age, an important epoch in Tamil Nadu’s history. For the first time, these findings provide evidence for the way of life described in ancient Sangam literature.
“This is the first time since 1965 that the ASI has engaged in such a mammoth excavation in Tamil Nadu,” says K Amarnath Ramakrishnan, superintending archaeologist. “The greatest of civilisations have always sprung from the banks of rivers. Based on this premise, we first charted the course of Vaigai river, surveying 400 villages on either side of its banks to find out whether there was any evidence of an ancient river valley civilization, or any signs of ancient habitation.”
Ramakrishnan adds, “As we know, Mohenjo-daro is one of the world’s earliest ancient urban settlements. However, its equivalent had not been found in the south of India so far, even though we knew that South India has ancient roots as well. This habitation site is evidence that such a civilisation existed, and if we excavate further, there is a possibility of finding an ancient civilisation that is the parallel of Mohenjo Daro.”
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