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About Keeladi : Keeladi Heritage Museum - Sivaganga District |
To understand the Vaigai River Coastal Civilization, the Central Archeology Department conducted 3 phases of excavations from 2015 to 2017 in the Keeladi, Kontakhai, Manalur and Akaram areas of Sivagangai District near Madurai. |
Three thousand years old Tamils habitation was found in the excavations. After that Tamil Nadu Archaeology Department started excavation work from the 4th to 8th phase from 2017 to 2019. A variety of items were found in it. |
The Keeladi excavations are archaeological excavations that have been taking place in the village of Keeladi, located in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, since 2014. The excavations have been carried out by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and have unearthed significant evidence of an ancient urban settlement. |
The Keeladi site dates back to the Sangam period, considered the golden age of Tamil literature and lasted from the 3rd century BCE to the 3rd century CE. The excavations have revealed a complex urban settlement that included residential areas, streets, public buildings, and water management systems. |
Some crucial findings from the Keeladi excavations include beads, iron tools, terracotta figurines, expensive gold ornaments, copper articles, iron tool parts, flint pieces, round chips, flint earrings, glass and precious bell stones (agate, sapphire, crystal), earthenware shells, revoluted pottery, old men's talismans etc. These artefacts provide valuable insights into the life and culture of the people who lived in the area during the Sangam period. |
It has been established that the Tamils inhabited the area with an ancient urban civilisation. The period between the 6th century BC and the 1st and 2nd century BC has been confirmed by the organic samples of material recovered in Phase 4 excavations. |
Scratches, symbols and patterns were found on the pottery found here. All these are engraved before and after firing. Over 50 pieces of clay inscribed with Tamil Brahmi characters have been recovered. |
During each excavation phase, more than 3 thousand objects were taken by the archaeology department. In this, 5,820 items were found by the archaeology department only during the 4th phase of excavation. So far, 8 phases of excavations have been completed. All the finds are examples of the excellence of the ancient Tamils in urban civilisation. |
It was reported that the Keeladi Museum would be set up at Rs.11.03 crore. It is currently set at an estimate of Rs.18.42 crore. Currently, an additional allocation of Rs.7.39 crore has been made. |
The discoveries made at Keeladi have the potential to shed new light on the history and culture of ancient Tamil Nadu, and the ongoing excavations continue to be an important area of research for archaeologists and historians. |
Keeladi Heritage Museum was inaugurated on 5th March 2023, and tourists can visit the Museum. |
The Keeladi Heritage Museum |
https://maps.app.goo.gl/cHwJqia4qvV53CST7?g_st=ic |
Opening hours: |
10 AM to 6 PM - All days except Tuesdays and National Holidays |
Entrance Fees: |
Adult Rs 15 per person |
Child Rs 10 per person |
School students Rs 5 per student |
Excavation site visit: The excavation site is half a km from the Museum. Tourists and students can visit all previously excavated sites except the current location.Keeladi Heritage Museum - Sivaganga District |
To understand the Vaigai River Coastal Civilization, the Central Archeology Department conducted 3 phases of excavations from 2015 to 2017 in the Keeladi, Kontakhai, Manalur and Akaram areas of Sivagangai District near Madurai. |
Three thousand years old Tamils habitation was found in the excavations. After that Tamil Nadu Archaeology Department started excavation work from the 4th to 8th phase from 2017 to 2019. A variety of items were found in it. |
The Keeladi excavations are archaeological excavations that have been taking place in the village of Keeladi, located in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, since 2014. The excavations have been carried out by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and have unearthed significant evidence of an ancient urban settlement. |
The Keeladi site dates back to the Sangam period, considered the golden age of Tamil literature and lasted from the 3rd century BCE to the 3rd century CE. The excavations have revealed a complex urban settlement that included residential areas, streets, public buildings, and water management systems. |
Some crucial findings from the Keeladi excavations include beads, iron tools, terracotta figurines, expensive gold ornaments, copper articles, iron tool parts, flint pieces, round chips, flint earrings, glass and precious bell stones (agate, sapphire, crystal), earthenware shells, revoluted pottery, old men's talismans etc. These artefacts provide valuable insights into the life and culture of the people who lived in the area during the Sangam period. |
It has been established that the Tamils inhabited the area with an ancient urban civilisation. The period between the 6th century BC and the 1st and 2nd century BC has been confirmed by the organic samples of material recovered in Phase 4 excavations. |
Scratches, symbols and patterns were found on the pottery found here. All these are engraved before and after firing. Over 50 pieces of clay inscribed with Tamil Brahmi characters have been recovered. |
During each excavation phase, more than 3 thousand objects were taken by the archaeology department. In this, 5,820 items were found by the archaeology department only during the 4th phase of excavation. So far, 8 phases of excavations have been completed. All the finds are examples of the excellence of the ancient Tamils in urban civilisation. |
It was reported that the Keeladi Museum would be set up at Rs.11.03 crore. It is currently set at an estimate of Rs.18.42 crore. Currently, an additional allocation of Rs.7.39 crore has been made. |
The discoveries made at Keeladi have the potential to shed new light on the history and culture of ancient Tamil Nadu, and the ongoing excavations continue to be an important area of research for archaeologists and historians. |
Keeladi Heritage Museum was inaugurated on 5th March 2023, and tourists can visit the Museum. |
The Keeladi Heritage Museum |
https://maps.app.goo.gl/cHwJqia4qvV53CST7?g_st=ic |
Opening hours: |
10 AM to 6 PM - All days except Tuesdays and National Holidays |
Entrance Fees: |
Adult Rs 15 per person |
Child Rs 10 per person |
School students Rs 5 per student |
Excavation site visit: The excavation site is half a km from the Museum. Tourists and students can visit all previously excavated sites except the current location. |
On recommendation of the State Department of Archaeology, the Central Advisory Board of Archaeology [CABA] had permitted Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology to conduct excavations at Keeladi, Sivagangai District during the years 2017-2018, 2018-2019 ,2019-2020 and 2020-2021. The analysis of carbon samples collected from the Keeladi Excavations resulted as 6th century BCE (580 BCE). Likewise, the date of Tamil-Brahmi is pushed back to 6th century BCE that is a century earlier than the hitherto held view of 5th century BCE. Which is evidence for the high literacy level that was well achieved in 6th century BCE in Tamil Nadu. It is generally believed among the scholars that second urbanization observed in Gangetic valley did not occur in Tamil Nadu. But, the Keeladi excavations clearly suggest that the second urbanization too happened in Tamil Nadu in 6th century BCE. |
A TURNING POINT IN THE CULTURAL HISTORIOGRAPHY OF SANGAM AGE |
In order to reaffirm the antiquity of Tamils in the World arena, the Tamil Nadu State Archaeology Department has placed the artefacts recovered from the Keeladi excavation for regressive scientific analysis and for AMS [Accelerator Mass Spectrometry] dating. The results received from the reputed laboratories are placed before the team of experts for their academic scrutiny. The comments and suggestions of the experts are consolidated and the same is being placed before the public for their understanding and appreciation |
TRACE OF AGRARIAN SOCIETY AND CATTLE REARING |
The report on the faunal remains submitted by Deccan College, Post Graduate and Research Institute, Pune provided broad picture on the subsistence pattern of the Early Histotimes. The total number of animal skeletal fragments is of 70 samples. The analysis is made under the category of large-sized animals and medium - sized animals due to the nature of specimens recovered from the excavation. Further, the limited nature of the samples restricted our understanding on the nature of species. However, the species such as Cow/Ox (Bos indicus), Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis), Sheep (Ovis aries), Goat (Capra hircus), Nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus), Blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra), Wild boar (Sus scrofa) and Peacock (Pavo cristatus) were identified. |
If we put the ox, cow, buffalo and goat together, it occupies almost 53%, there by indicating that they were predominantly cattle raising people. The presence of antelope to the level of 6.66% and wild boar (1.33%) suggests that they were hardly domesticated. The availability of cut marks in some of the animals like antelope, goat and wild boar suggest that they consumed goat, boar and antelope. |
Thus, the faunal remains recovered from the single season of excavation and the subsequent limited analysis suggests that the people mainly depended on agriculture and cattle rearing. The future analysis of botanical samples such as pollen and phytolith may reveal or substantiate the present findings. The excavation is in progress; therefore, there is a good chance of getting more number of samples. |
ANALYSIS OF THE STRUCTURAL REMAINS |
The samples like bricks, lime-mortar, roof-tiles and the binding materials of the ring well collected from the structural remains were sent to the Vellore Institute of Technology for scientific material analysis. The analysis revealed that every specimen contained elements like silica, lime, ferrous, aluminum and magnesium. The detailed report also furnishes of its constitution and nature. The bricks and roof-tiles contained more than 80% silica mixed with 7% of lime while the lime plaster possessed 97% of lime. In fact, the long survival of these |
materials with considerable strength and quality is due to the quality of material deployed in the construction activities |
STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING |