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The Hindu
20-07-2025
- Science
- The Hindu
Unearthing lost timelines: Marungur Chapter
From potsherds to iron tools, the habitation mound and burial site add vital data to the archaeological profile of ancient Tamil Nadu's Naduvil Mandalam. N. Sai Charan digs deep into the Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology's recently completed excavation Nestled in a belt of lush green cashew groves at Panruti taluk in Cuddalore district, Marungur, an otherwise quiet village, has recently stepped into archaeological spotlight. A short 2-km detour from the Chennai-Kumbakonam Highway near Kollukkaran village leads to this site, where the Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology (TNSDA) had recently completed excavation, bringing to light evidence of a long-forgotten past, and further proof of the rich heritage of Tamil Nadu. The region was part of the ancient Naduvil Mandalam or Naduvil Nadu (Central Territorial Division), flanked by the Thenpennai to the north and the Vada Vellar river to the south. Marungur was among eight locations where the TNSDA took up excavations in 2024-25. While the exact period is yet to be confirmed through chemical dating, preliminary findings from Marungur pointed to a well-established settlement, likely inhabited by communities during the transition phase from the later part of the Iron Age to the Early Historic Period, said R. Sivanantham, Director of Marungur excavation, and Joint Director of the TNSDA. He was assisted by archaeologists K. Bakialakshmi and S. Subhalakshmi, as well as research scholars. The exploration by the TNSDA, using remote-sensing techniques such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) mapping and LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) to assess various attributes of the site, revealed that the habitation mound and burial site were positioned at an elevation of 100 metres above mean sea level. Subsequently, a formal excavation was launched to conduct methodical unearthing and analysis of material culture. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, on June 18, 2024, launched the archaeological excavation at Marungur from the State Secretariat, along with excavations at Keeladi and its cluster (Kondagai) in Sivaganga district; Vembakottai in Virudhunagar; Kilnamandi in Tiruvannamalai; Porpanaikottai in Pudukkottai; Tirumalapuram in Tenkasi; Sennanur in Krishnagiri; and Kongalnagaram in Tiruppur. Explorations at Marungur The significance of Marungur came to light more than a decade ago. A report published in The Hindu on March 5, 2010, noted that three potsherds with Tamil Brahmi inscriptions were discovered at an urn burial site in Marungur. J.R. Sivaramakrishnan, a history lecturer at Annamalai University, had first noticed and collected the potsherds when an earthmover dug up the soil for strengthening the Vadalur-Panruti Road at Marungur. 'This is the first time such inscribed pots with Tamil Brahmi letters, usually placed as grave goods in urn burials, have been recovered from any archaeological site in Tamil Nadu. This opens a new chapter in archaeological research in the State,' the report said, quoting three experts, including renowned archaeologist K. Rajan. According to official sources in the TNSDA, one was inscribed with 'a-ti-y(a)-ka-n', and the others with 'a-ma-ṉ' and 'a-ta'. These inscribed potsherds could be dated back to the second or third century BCE, on paleographic grounds. Further explorations revealed a variety of artefacts on the surface of the habitation mound, located adjacent to a pond approximately 600 metres southwest of the burial site. Among the finds were light grey rouletted ware potsherds, black-and-red ware potsherds, microlithic tools, and a crescent-shaped iron chisel. On the southern flank of the habitation mound, remnants of a brick measuring 7×21×42 cm, flat terracotta stones of various sizes believed to have been used to play hopscotch, and beads of various colours – green, purple, yellow, black, and white – were found. Other artefacts included black-and-red ware pottery, terracotta pipes, an urn, circular stands, a lid made of black polished ware, and iron implements. Excavation at habitation mound On the eastern side of the tank at Marungur, a total of eight trenches, each varying in depth based on stratigraphic markers, were excavated at the habitation mound, which is situated in a zone predominantly composed of laterite soil. Decades ago, during the creation of the nearby pond, large volumes of silt must have been dumped over the mound. This anthropogenic activity resulted in the accumulation of nearly 2 metres of overlying silt, which was encountered during trenching, Mr. Sivanantham said. A significant discovery from one of the trenches was the unearthing of two large terracotta storage containers, each measuring approximately 1.25 metres, at a depth of 4.4 metres. In one of these containers, six bone points with sharp edges were found at the bottom. A few more bone points were also unearthed during the excavation. The exposed soil in and around the containers was clear evidence of firing activities. From the same stratigraphic layer, charcoal samples were retrieved, offering an opportunity for radiocarbon dating and further contextual analysis, he said. Two inner cores of conch shells, one of which measured 7 cm in length, were unearthed at a depth of 3.6 metres. A 13-cm-long iron knife, broken into three pieces, weighing 22.97 grams and measuring 2.8 mm in thickness, was also recovered from a depth of 2.57 metres. Various potsherds, including black-and-red ware, red ware, red-slipped ware, coarse red ware, rouletted ware with intricate designs, grey-rouletted ware, brown-slipped ware, and perforated ware, were found during the excavation, indicating remarkable diversity in ceramic usage. They also include 12 graffiti-bearing potsherds, with some of the graffiti resembling Indus signs. Several burnishing tools, used to polish the surface of pottery and terracotta wheels, were also found. The excavation yielded a rich collection of 95 antiquities, including a polished stone axe, carnelian, agate, quartz, glass and terracotta beads, copper bangle fragments, an iron knife, and terracotta objects. Antimony rods were unearthed, their blunt edges indicating that they were used for ornamental purposes. A medieval copper coin from the period of Raja Raja Chola I was also unearthed from the top layers. 'The mother trench excavated on the southwestern part of the habitation mound was nearly six metres deep. Beyond a depth of six metres, traces of natural soil were observed, indicating the absence of any further anthropogenic activity,' said Mr. Sivanantham, adding that Marungur was one of the few places in Tamil Nadu where both the habitation mound and its associated burial site were found. Excavation at burial site At the burial site located in a cashew grove, the archaeologists dug two trenches. During the course of excavation, two laterite stone circles were identified, confirming the presence of megalithic burials. In total, 10 urns were unearthed from these two trenches. The first megalithic structure revealed a laterite stone circle with a diameter of eight metres. The surface of the circle was covered with small laterite stones, which, upon removal, revealed two concentric stone circles – the inner circle composed of medium-sized laterite stones and the outer structure of larger stones. The stone circle was divided into four quadrants for methodical excavation. Initial layers yielded hard laterite stone. At the centre, a large capstone was found, placed to protect the burial urn beneath. The urn itself was placed within a laterite bedrock cavity. This megalith yielded two urns, Mr. Sivanantham said. In the second megalithic burial area, beneath the laterite layers, a fine red soil stratum was encountered, from which eight urns made of red ware were exposed at varying levels and in different sizes. Iron swords were found outside two of the urns, while other iron objects were recovered from inside the urns. One urn yielded red jasper beads, he said. In both the trenches, offering pots around the urns were recovered. These included black-and-red ware, red-slipped ware, black-slipped ware, and plain red ware pots. Proposed scientific analysis The samples collected from the habitation mound and the burial site will be subjected to a range of scientific analyses aimed at establishing the chronology of site formation, dating the artefacts and antiquities, and reconstructing the lifestyle and food habits of the communities that once inhabited Marungur, Mr. Sivanantham said. The charcoal samples will be sent to the Beta Analytic laboratory in Florida, U.S., for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry analysis for dating, while the pollen samples collected will be sent to French Institute of Pondicherry. Further, archaeo-botanical investigations, phytolith and petrology analyses, and Optically Stimulated Luminescence and Thermoluminescence dating will be employed to determine the exposure of sediments and ceramics to heat or light. The continuous cultural development in this region – from the Iron Age to the Early Historic Period – will be established through chronological and scientific analyses based on the unearthed artefacts, Mr. Sivanantham added. The University of Madras had already conducted excavations near Marungur, at Karaikadu and Kudikadu. This site also holds significance as it is located close to the ancient port cities of Arikamedu in the Union Territory of Puducherry and Poompuhar in Mayiladuthurai district. The TNSDA has also mooted preliminary surveys at Manikkollai, nearly 30 km from Marungur, for conducting excavations during 2025-26.
The Hindu
08-07-2025
- Science
- The Hindu
T.N. Archaeology Department sends 23 charcoal samples to U.S. for AMS dating
The Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology (TNSDA) has dispatched 23 charcoal samples, excavated from different stratigraphic layers at seven archaeological sites during the 2024-25 excavation season, to the Beta Analytic laboratory in the United States for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) dating, with an aim to establish the ancientness and absolute chronology of cultural deposits. According to official sources, among the samples sent, five are from the 10th phase of excavation at Keeladi in Sivaganga district, four from the first phase at Chennanoor in Krishnagiri district, two each from Tirumalapuram in Tenkasi district, Marungur in Cuddalore district and Porpanaikkottai in Pudukottai district, and three from Kongalnagaram in Tiruppur district. Further, the TNSDA has also sent five charcoal samples excavated from Thulukkarpatti in Tirunelveli district. Official sources said the AMS test results are expected within two months. In addition to AMS, the TNSDA is also employing a suite of scientific methods to study the ancientness of various unearthed materials. During the 10th phase of excavations at Keeladi, over 500 antiquities and 100 inscribed potsherds were unearthed, including red-slipped ware with fish motifs. In the second phase at Porpanaikkottai, 11 trenches yielded 1,792 antiquities, including pottery, glass beads, and bangles. Notably, a stone slab chamber with urn burials was excavated for the first time in Tamil Nadu at the megalithic burial ground in Tirumalapuram.
The Hindu
20-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
The AIADMK defends its role in Keeladi excavations, wants politics out of the issue
The AIADMK has defended its role in the Keeladi excavations when it was in power. It also accused the ruling DMK of 'indulging only in politics' on the issue. On Wednesday, the main Opposition party, long criticised for being silent on the issue, claimed credit for the Keeladi excavations during April-August 2018. Puratchi Thalaivi Peravai secretary and Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly R.B. Udhayakumar made these remarks in a statement. The next day, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin attacked the AIADMK for 'maintaining silence'. On Friday, the party fielded deputy propaganda secretary K. Pandiarajan, who was the Minister for Tamil Language and Culture and Archaeology during 2017-21, to explain to the media the AIADMK government's record in archaeology in general and Keeladi in particular. The former Minister pointed out that the average annual allocation for the Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology (TNSDA) was hardly ₹2 crore once. This went up to ₹105 crore, including the Centre government's share. Touching upon the archaeological work at Adichanallur in Thoothukudi district, he said that it was Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami who got the Union government to sanction the establishment of a site museum (which is being built at a cost of ₹17 crore). Litigation before Madurai Bench Tracing the origin of the Keeladi controversy, Mr. Pandiarajan recalled that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) had, at one stage, decided not to pursue the project further. Jayalalithaa was the Chief Minister then, and she decided that the State government would step in if the Centre walked out. So, the AIADMK government applied to the Central government for approval, even as litigation was pending before the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court. Later, the Central Advisory Board of Archaeology (CABA) permitted the TNSDA to conduct excavations, which were done in stages. The reports were submitted to the Union government. At the 2019 Book Fair in Chennai, Mr. Palaniswami released the first report. When the ASI did the work in Keeladi, it confined itself to a few acres of land. But when the TNSDA stepped in, about 100 acres was acquired. It was from the Beta Analytic Testing Laboratory, Miami, Florida, U.S., that the dating report was obtained for the Keeladi findings, the former Minister said, adding that the proposal for a site museum at Keeladi was approved when Mr. Palaniswami was the Chief Minister. 'Culture of sticking posters' Acknowledging that the TNSDA was created in the late 1960s when the DMK was in power, Mr. Pandiarajan, however, said that of a total of 39 excavations done so far, 33 were carried out when the AIADMK was in power. But the DMK government wanted to 'take credit for all the work' done by the AIADMK government. 'This is the height of the culture of sticking posters [on what the previous government had achieved],' Mr. Pandiarajan said, wondering how much the ruling DMK had allocated for the Keeladi excavations and whether those who were agitating on the issue had read the reports produced by the AIADMK government. It was for ASI official Amarnath Ramakrishna to clarify the points raised by the ASI on the Keeladi excavations, and there was no room here for politics, Mr. Pandiarajan said, adding that the ASI did not question the antiquity of the Keeladi civilisation but raised some questions based on the reports submitted by the State government when the AIADMK was in power. A 'blatant lie' Speaking to reporters at Anna Arivalayam, DMK MLA N. Ezhilan said the Edappadi Palaniswami-led AIADMK government started the Keeladi excavationS based only on a Supreme Court verdict. He said the AIADMK government allocated funds only for two excavations: ₹5 lakh for Pattaraiperumpudur in Tiruvallur district and ₹55 lakh for Keeladi. He termed the AIADMK's claim of allocation of ₹105 crore a 'blatant lie'.
