Latest news with #ancientartefacts
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Ancient site stirs heated political debate on India's past
The Keeladi village in India's southern Tamil Nadu state has unearthed archeological finds that have sparked a political and historical battle. Amid coconut groves, a series of 15ft (4.5m) deep trenches reveal ancient artefacts buried in layers of soil - fragments of terracotta pots, and traces of long-lost brick structures. Experts from the Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology estimate the artefacts to be 2,000 to 2,500 years old, with the oldest dating back to around 580 BCE. They say these findings challenge and reshape existing narratives about early civilisation in the Indian subcontinent. With politicians, historians, and epigraphists weighing in, Keeladi has moved beyond archaeology, becoming a symbol of state pride and identity amid competing historical narratives. Yet history enthusiasts say it remains one of modern India's most compelling and accessible discoveries - offering a rare opportunity to deepen our understanding of a shared past. Keeladi, a village 12km (7 miles) from Madurai on the banks of the Vaigai river, was one of 100 sites shortlisted for excavation by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) archaeologist Amarnath Ramakrishnan in 2013. He selected a 100-acre site there because of its proximity to ancient Madurai and the earlier discovery of red-and-black pottery ware by a schoolteacher in 1975. Since 2014, 10 excavation rounds at Keeladi have uncovered over 15,000 artefacts - burial urns, coins, beads, terracotta pipes and more - from just four of the 100 marked acres. Many are now displayed in a nearby museum. Ajay Kumar, leading the state archaeology team at Keeladi, says the key finds are elaborate brick structures and water systems - evidence of a 2,500-year-old urban settlement. "This was a literate, urban society where people had separate spaces for habitation, burial practices and industrial work," Mr Kumar says, noting it's the first large, well-defined ancient urban settlement found in southern India. Since the Indus Valley Civilisation's discovery in the early 1900s, most efforts to trace civilisation's origins in the subcontinent have focused on northern and central India. So, the Keeladi finds have sparked excitement across Tamil Nadu and beyond. William Daniel, a teacher from neighbouring Kerala, said the discoveries made him feel proud about his heritage. "It gives people from the south [of India] something to feel proud about, that our civilisation is just as ancient and important as the one in the north [of India]," he says. The politics surrounding Keeladi reflects a deep-rooted north-south divide - underscoring how understanding the present requires grappling with the past. India's first major civilisation - the Indus Valley - emerged in the north and central regions between 3300 and 1300 BCE. After its decline, a second urban phase, the Vedic period, rose in the Gangetic plains, lasting until the 6th Century BCE. This phase saw major cities, powerful kingdoms and the rise of Vedic culture - a foundation for Hinduism. As a result, urbanisation in ancient India is often viewed as a northern phenomenon, with a dominant narrative that the northern Aryans "civilised" the Dravidian south. This is especially evident in the mainstream understanding of the spread of literacy. It is believed that the Ashokan Brahmi script - found on Mauryan king Ashoka's rock edicts in northern and central India, dating back to the 3rd Century BCE - is the predecessor of most scripts in South and Southeast Asia. Epigraphists like Iravatham Mahadevan and Y Subbarayalu have long held the view that the Tamil Brahmi script - the Tamil language spoken in Tamil Nadu and written in the Brahmi script - was an offshoot of the Ashokan Brahmi script. But now, archaeologists from the Tamil Nadu state department say that the excavations at Keeladi are challenging this narrative. "We have found graffiti in the Tamil Brahmi script dating back to the 6th Century BCE, which shows that it is older than the Ashokan Brahmi script. We believe that both scripts developed independently and, perhaps, emerged from the Indus Valley script," Mr Kumar says. Epigraphist S Rajavelu, former professor of marine archaeology at the Tamil University, agrees with Mr Kumar and says other excavation sites in the state too have unearthed graffiti in the Tamil Brahmi script dating back to the 5th and 4th Century BCE. But some experts say that more research and evidence are needed to conclusively prove the antiquity of the Tamil Brahmi script. Another claim by the state department of archaeology that has ruffled feathers is that the graffiti found on artefacts in Keeladi is similar to that found in the Indus Valley sites. "People from the Indus Valley may have migrated to the south, leading to a period of urbanisation taking place in Keeladi at the same time it was taking place in the Gangetic plains," Mr Kumar says, adding that further excavations are needed to fully grasp the settlement's scale. But Ajit Kumar, a professor of archaeology at Nalanda University in Bihar, says that this wouldn't have been possible. "Considering the rudimentary state of travel back then, people from the Indus Valley would not have been able to migrate to the south in such large numbers to set up civilisation," he says. He believes the finds in Keeladi can be likened to a small "settlement". While archaeologists debate the findings, politicians are already drawing links between Keeladi and the Indus Valley - some even claim the two existed at the same time or that the Indus Valley was part of an early southern Indian, or Dravidian, civilisation. The controversy over ASI archaeologist Mr Ramakrishnan's transfer - who led the Keeladi excavations - has intensified the site's political tensions. In 2017, after two excavation rounds, the ASI transferred Mr Ramakrishnan, citing protocol. The Tamil Nadu government accused the federal agency of deliberately hindering the digs to undermine Tamil pride. The ASI's request in 2023 for Mr Ramakrishnan to revise his Keeladi report - citing a lack of scientific rigour - has intensified the controversy. He refused, insisting his findings followed standard archaeological methods. In June, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin called the federal government's refusal to publish Mr Ramakrishnan's report an "onslaught on Tamil culture and pride". State minister Thangam Thennarasu accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led federal government of deliberately suppressing information to erase Tamilian history. India's Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has now clarified that Mr Ramakrishnan's report has not been rejected by the ASI but is "under review," with expert feedback yet to be finalised. Back at the the Keeladi museum, children explore exhibits during a school visit while construction continues outside to create an open-air museum at the excavation site. Journalist Sowmiya Ashok, author of an upcoming book on Keeladi, recalls the thrill of her first visit. "Uncovering history is a journey to better understand our shared past. Through small clues - like carnelian beads from the northwest or Roman copper coins - Keeladi reveals that our ancestors were far more connected than we realise," she says. "The divisions we see today are shaped more by the present than by history." Solve the daily Crossword
BBC News
15 hours ago
- General
- BBC News
Keeladi: The ancient site that has become a political flashpoint in India
The Keeladi village in India's southern Tamil Nadu state has unearthed archeological finds that have sparked a political and historical coconut groves, a series of 15ft (4.5m) deep trenches reveal ancient artefacts buried in layers of soil - fragments of terracotta pots, and traces of long-lost brick from the Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology estimate the artefacts to be 2,000 to 2,500 years old, with the oldest dating back to around 580 BCE. They say these findings challenge and reshape existing narratives about early civilisation in the Indian politicians, historians, and epigraphists weighing in, Keeladi has moved beyond archaeology, becoming a symbol of state pride and identity amid competing historical history enthusiasts say it remains one of modern India's most compelling and accessible discoveries - offering a rare opportunity to deepen our understanding of a shared a village 12km (7 miles) from Madurai on the banks of the Vaigai river, was one of 100 sites shortlisted for excavation by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) archaeologist Amarnath Ramakrishnan in 2013. He selected a 100-acre site there because of its proximity to ancient Madurai and the earlier discovery of red-and-black pottery ware by a schoolteacher in 1975. Since 2014, 10 excavation rounds at Keeladi have uncovered over 15,000 artefacts - burial urns, coins, beads, terracotta pipes and more - from just four of the 100 marked acres. Many are now displayed in a nearby Kumar, leading the state archaeology team at Keeladi, says the key finds are elaborate brick structures and water systems - evidence of a 2,500-year-old urban settlement."This was a literate, urban society where people had separate spaces for habitation, burial practices and industrial work," Mr Kumar says, noting it's the first large, well-defined ancient urban settlement found in southern the Indus Valley Civilisation's discovery in the early 1900s, most efforts to trace civilisation's origins in the subcontinent have focused on northern and central the Keeladi finds have sparked excitement across Tamil Nadu and Daniel, a teacher from neighbouring Kerala, said the discoveries made him feel proud about his heritage."It gives people from the south [of India] something to feel proud about, that our civilisation is just as ancient and important as the one in the north [of India]," he says. The politics surrounding Keeladi reflects a deep-rooted north-south divide - underscoring how understanding the present requires grappling with the first major civilisation - the Indus Valley - emerged in the north and central regions between 3300 and 1300 BCE. After its decline, a second urban phase, the Vedic period, rose in the Gangetic plains, lasting until the 6th Century phase saw major cities, powerful kingdoms and the rise of Vedic culture - a foundation for Hinduism. As a result, urbanisation in ancient India is often viewed as a northern phenomenon, with a dominant narrative that the northern Aryans "civilised" the Dravidian is especially evident in the mainstream understanding of the spread of literacy. It is believed that the Ashokan Brahmi script - found on Mauryan king Ashoka's rock edicts in northern and central India, dating back to the 3rd Century BCE - is the predecessor of most scripts in South and Southeast like Iravatham Mahadevan and Y Subbarayalu have long held the view that the Tamil Brahmi script - the Tamil language spoken in Tamil Nadu and written in the Brahmi script - was an offshoot of the Ashokan Brahmi now, archaeologists from the Tamil Nadu state department say that the excavations at Keeladi are challenging this narrative."We have found graffiti in the Tamil Brahmi script dating back to the 6th Century BCE, which shows that it is older than the Ashokan Brahmi script. We believe that both scripts developed independently and, perhaps, emerged from the Indus Valley script," Mr Kumar says. Epigraphist S Rajavelu, former professor of marine archaeology at the Tamil University, agrees with Mr Kumar and says other excavation sites in the state too have unearthed graffiti in the Tamil Brahmi script dating back to the 5th and 4th Century some experts say that more research and evidence are needed to conclusively prove the antiquity of the Tamil Brahmi claim by the state department of archaeology that has ruffled feathers is that the graffiti found on artefacts in Keeladi is similar to that found in the Indus Valley sites."People from the Indus Valley may have migrated to the south, leading to a period of urbanisation taking place in Keeladi at the same time it was taking place in the Gangetic plains," Mr Kumar says, adding that further excavations are needed to fully grasp the settlement's Ajit Kumar, a professor of archaeology at Nalanda University in Bihar, says that this wouldn't have been possible."Considering the rudimentary state of travel back then, people from the Indus Valley would not have been able to migrate to the south in such large numbers to set up civilisation," he says. He believes the finds in Keeladi can be likened to a small "settlement". While archaeologists debate the findings, politicians are already drawing links between Keeladi and the Indus Valley - some even claim the two existed at the same time or that the Indus Valley was part of an early southern Indian, or Dravidian, controversy over ASI archaeologist Mr Ramakrishnan's transfer - who led the Keeladi excavations - has intensified the site's political 2017, after two excavation rounds, the ASI transferred Mr Ramakrishnan, citing protocol. The Tamil Nadu government accused the federal agency of deliberately hindering the digs to undermine Tamil ASI's request in 2023 for Mr Ramakrishnan to revise his Keeladi report - citing a lack of scientific rigour - has intensified the controversy. He refused, insisting his findings followed standard archaeological June, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin called the federal government's refusal to publish Mr Ramakrishnan's report an "onslaught on Tamil culture and pride". State minister Thangam Thennarasu accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led federal government of deliberately suppressing information to erase Tamilian Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has now clarified that Mr Ramakrishnan's report has not been rejected by the ASI but is "under review," with expert feedback yet to be finalised. Back at the the Keeladi museum, children explore exhibits during a school visit while construction continues outside to create an open-air museum at the excavation Sowmiya Ashok, author of an upcoming book on Keeladi, recalls the thrill of her first visit."Uncovering history is a journey to better understand our shared past. Through small clues - like carnelian beads from the northwest or Roman copper coins - Keeladi reveals that our ancestors were far more connected than we realise," she says. "The divisions we see today are shaped more by the present than by history."
ABC News
20-07-2025
- Science
- ABC News
Indigenous rangers join archaeologists in search of ancient underwater artefacts off WA coast
For years researchers have been trying to crack archaeology's 'last frontier' - the ancient artefacts sitting on the ocean floor. Now they've brought in local Indigenous rangers to help.
The National
15-05-2025
- General
- The National
Zayed National Museum adds three ancient treasures to growing collection
Three artefacts excavated in the UAE are among the many ancient gems that will be featured in Zayed National Museum, The National can exclusively reveal. The items include an official stamp dating back to the Iron Age, a gold pendant from the Bronze Age and an ashlar block from the third millennium BC. They are among more than 1,000 items that will be displayed at the highly anticipated museum coming up on Abu Dhabi's Saadiyat Island. They artefacts join previously announced pieces such as the Magan Boat – a pristine, full-sized reconstruction of the ancient maritime vessel that sailed the Arabian Peninsula during the Bronze Age – as well as the Blue Quran, which dates back to the 9th century and is distinguished by its indigo-dyed parchment and gold Kufic script. 'These objects are not just historical artefacts,' says Ammar Al Banna, associate curator at Zayed National Museum. 'They reflect the ingenuity, identity and belief systems of the people who lived here thousands of years ago – and show how deeply connected this land was with surrounding regions, both culturally and economically.' Here is what you need to know about the latest items. A flat, black, square-shaped stamp etched with a camel motif dates back to the first millennium BC. Set to go on display in the Through Our Connections gallery at Zayed National Museum, the artefact highlights how ancient communities in this region harnessed technology and materials in the service of trade. 'Stamps like these were used for bureaucratic purposes – for sealing merchandise or documents. What's especially telling is the depiction of the camel, which was being domesticated during this time. It wasn't just a practical animal – it was central to people's identity and for expanding communal life,' Al Banna explains 'These iconographies were rooted in their daily life. By using the camel on a stamp, they were embedding their surroundings into their systems of trade and record – creating a visual language that tied community to commerce.' On display in the To Our Ancestors gallery will be a gold ornament resembling a brooch. Dating back to the second millennium BC, it features two animals positioned back to back. Three of the legs are missing, while fine lines are visible on the edges and remaining limbs. 'This pendant was discovered in a Bronze Age tomb belonging to the Umm Al Nar civilisation,' Al Banna says. 'Alongside it were other precious items, which tells us about their belief system – they buried their dead with prized possessions, suggesting ideas of status, spirituality and continuity beyond life.' He adds that the motifs in the piece mirror designs found in burial sites at Al Ain's Hili Grand Tomb – part of the Al Ain Archaeological Park – showing how the civilisation used symbolism across generations. 'These figures, whether carved or cast, were not merely decorative. They were expressions of identity and belief,' he says. 'It's a powerful example of how communities in this region developed their own iconographic language, long before written script.' A stone panel, once part of a large circular tomb wall in Umm Al Nar, features a carved relief of a camel. The restored panel, reassembled from four fragments, offers insight into the burial practices of the civilisation. 'This structure was part of a monumental communal tomb, possibly housing hundreds of individuals over time,' says Al Banna. 'What's fascinating is the effort it took to build these eight-metre-wide structures. They weren't made for elites alone, they were built by and for the community.' The carvings are also seen as artworks, offering a glimpse into how ancient communities used imagery to express ideas affecting all facets of society. 'The carvings show oryx, deer, camels and even humans. These weren't random; they were deliberately chosen,' Al Banna explains. 'The people of that era used their surroundings to communicate their relationship with life, death and each other. They wanted to leave their identity on these tombs to say: 'We were here.'' While no official opening date has been announced, The National previously reported that all attractions within the Saadiyat Cultural District – including the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi and the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi – are scheduled for completion this year. In April, teamLab Phenomena, a 17,000-square-metre digital art space, opened to the public. The Zayed National Museum will celebrate the history and culture of the UAE, while paying tribute to the legacy of UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
