Thirumalapuram excavations confirm Iron Age culture akin to Adichanallur

[Seshadri Sridharan]

Preliminary findings from Thirumalapuram excavations confirm Iron Age culture akin to Adichanallur

According to tentative estimates, the site could date back to the early to mid-third millennium BCE. The excavations have yielded a rich collection of ceramics found in graves and among grave goods

The first season of excavations carried out by the Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology (TNSDA) at Thirumalapuram in Tenkasi  district has brought to light the presence of Iron Age culture close to the Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu.

According to tentative estimates, the site could date back to the early to mid-third millennium BCE, similar to Adichanallur and Sivagalai. Official sources said the exact period would be confirmed through scientific analyses.

Burial site

According to the recently released report, Archaeological Excavations in Tamil Nadu: A Preliminary Report, the burial site at Thirumalapuram  covers nearly 35 acres and lies about 10 km northwest of the present-day village, between two seasonal streams that rise from the Western Ghats near the Kulasegarapereri tank.

During the first season of excavations started last year, TNSDA  archaeologists dug 37 trenches and unearthed several artefacts, including a rectangular stone slab chamber with urn burials and urns, a first-of-its-kind discovery in Tamil Nadu. The chamber, made of 35 stone slabs, was filled with cobblestones up to a depth of 1.5 metres.

The excavations also yielded a rich collection of ceramics found in graves and among grave goods. These included white-painted black-and-red ware, red ware, red-slipped ware, black-polished ware, and coarse red ware. The black-and-red ware, black ware, and black-slipped ware types had white-painted designs, a unique feature first reported from T. Kallupatti and later from Adichanallur, Sivagalai, Thulukkarpatti, and Korkai, the report said.

Striking symbols

According to the report, symbols on the urns were among the most striking discoveries at Thirumalapuram. One red-slipped pot featured dotted designs showing a human figure, a mountain, a deer, and a tortoise. A total of 78 antiquities made of bone, gold, bronze, and iron were also found. They include a tweezer, sword, spearhead, gold ring, axe, dagger, chisel, bonehead, and arrowhead. Three tiny gold rings were found in an urn at a depth of 0.49 metres. Each ring measures 4.8 mm in diameter and weighs less than one milligram.

Based on the unearthed materials, archaeologists believe this site dates to Iron Age. Official sources said the dating remains tentative as studies are still under way. Comparisons with sites such as Sivagalai and  Adichanallur, dated between 3,345 BCE and 2,513 BCE respectively, suggest that Thirumalapuram could be placed in the early to mid-third millennium BCE.

Published - October 12, 2025 08:04 pm IST

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