பெருமணலூர் (கீழடி) தொல்லியல் அகழாய்வு ரிப்போர்ட்: ASI dates Keeladi site to be between 8th century BCE to 3rd century CE
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N. Ganesan
Jan 31, 2023, 9:50:41 AM1/31/23
to Santhavasantham, Subramanian T S
பெருமணலூர் (கீழடி) தொல்லியல் அகழாய்வு ரிப்போர்ட்:
https://www.deccanherald.com/national/south/asi-dates-keeladi-site-to-be-between-8th-century-bce-to-3rd-century-ce-1186237.html
January 31, 2023
ASI dates Keeladi site to be between 8th century BCE to 3rd century CE
As many as 23 artefacts were sent for AMS dating to Beta Analytical
Lab in Florida and other institutes in the US.
ETB Sivapriyan, DHNS, Chennai,
Jan 31 2023, 01:12 ist
A comprehensive report on the first and second phases of excavation by
ASI, which sprung a surprise by announcing that there were no
significant findings in the third phase. Credit: Special Arrangement
Cultural deposits found in the first two phases of excavation
conducted by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in Keeladi near
Madurai could be safely dated between the 8th century BCE and to 3rd
century CE, a significant finding that suggests that the
literature-rich Sangam Era could be 500 years older than it was
thought earlier.
A comprehensive report on the first and second phases of excavation by
ASI, which sprung a surprise by announcing that there were no
significant findings in the third phase, which runs into 982 pages,
has classified Keeladi, 12 km southeast of Madurai, to three periods,
sources told DH.
The three periods are the Pre-Early Historic Period (8th century BCE -
5th century BCE), Mature Early Historic Period (5th-century BCE - end
of the 1st century BCE), and Post Early Historic Period (end of the
1st century BCE - 3rd century CE), the sources added.
The archaeologists who conducted the excavation between 2014 and 2016
relied on carbon dating of artefacts and stratigraphy tests to arrive
at the said dates for Keeladi, where 18,000 artefacts have been
unearthed in eight seasons, serving as a proof of the existence of an
industrialised urban settlement on the banks of River Vaigai, sources
privy to the report said.
As many as 23 artefacts were sent for AMS dating to Beta Analytical
Lab in Florida and other institutes in the US. “All of them returned
with the date of 300 BCE,” a source said.
While the first three phases were conducted by the ASI, the Tamil Nadu
State Department of Archaeology (TNSDA) took over from the fourth
phase in 2018. The ninth phase is likely to be launched next month.
The period of Keeladi arrived at by the ASI is two centuries older
than the date published by the TNSDA following the carbon dating of
artefacts found during the fourth phase of excavation.
“While the earlier date for Keeladi was the 6th century, this report
seems to have arrived at a period of the 8th century which is
significant. This only means the Sangam period is much older than it
was thought to be. The period will certainly get pushed further if we
continue to focus on the site,” an expert told DH, not wanting to be
named.
The ASI report is very important as the agency explicitly announced in
2017 that there were “no significant findings” in the third phase of
excavation after unearthing over 5,500 artefacts in the first two
rounds.
Ramakrishna, who was quite vocal about the findings and called Keeladi
a Sangam-era site, was transferred to Assam immediately after the
second phase ended.
The transfer and ASI’s “no findings” in the third phase announcement
led to a massive controversy which was put to an end only after the
Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court asked the Tamil Nadu State
Department of Archaeology (TNSDA) to take over the excavations from
the fourth phase.
The ASI report, which has 12 chapters with detailed diagrams and
photographs of trenches, has 12 chapters that explain the historical
background and objective of the excavation, dwell into the structural
remains, potteries, graffiti shreds, terracotta objects, and different
types of coins that were found during the excavations from 2014 to
2016.
Over a dozen potteries and decorated potteries, including black and
red ware, red slipped ware, perforated ware, applique decoration,
jackfruit design, and incised decoration, were found in the
excavations along with terracotta beads, glass beads, shell beads,
ivory beads, and pearl beads.
Terracotta objects like human and animal figurines, pendants, ivory
objects, metal objects, glass objects, and stone objects were also
unearthed from Keeladi.
The report has a separate chapter discussing the AMS dating of 23
samples done by the world-renowned Beta Analytical Lab, Florida, and
universities in India that establish the time period of the site,
faunal remains from the site, and phytolith and pollen analyses at
Keeladi, a source in the know told DH.
Another source said a report on scientific studies and
characterisation of silver punch-marked coins and copper coins found
from the site is also included in the voluminous book.
Archaeologists who worked in Keeladi at different times say
overwhelming evidence of industries based on beads and terracotta
having existed there were unearthed in the past eight years. DH had,
on November 18, 2022, reported that detailed analyses of plants and
soil from Keeladi have shown that surplus production of rice in the
area might have paved the way for an increase in trade 2,000 years
ago.
“This finding by the French Institute of Pondicherry has been included
in the report,” the source said. Archaeologists who worked in Keeladi
at different times told DH that overwhelming evidence of industries
based on beads and terracotta having existed there were unearthed in
the past eight years.
These archaeological findings have created a buzz with researchers and
archaeologists in Tamil Nadu, calling them significant as they “narrow
down” the gap between the Tamil urban settlements and the Indus Valley
Civilisation (IVC). However, they say “more evidence” should be
forthcoming, while experts outside Tamil Nadu categorically rule out
any link between Keeladi and IVC.
https://www.deccanherald.com/national/south/asi-dates-keeladi-site-to-be-between-8th-century-bce-to-3rd-century-ce-1186237.html
January 31, 2023
ASI dates Keeladi site to be between 8th century BCE to 3rd century CE
As many as 23 artefacts were sent for AMS dating to Beta Analytical
Lab in Florida and other institutes in the US.
ETB Sivapriyan, DHNS, Chennai,
Jan 31 2023, 01:12 ist
A comprehensive report on the first and second phases of excavation by
ASI, which sprung a surprise by announcing that there were no
significant findings in the third phase. Credit: Special Arrangement
Cultural deposits found in the first two phases of excavation
conducted by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in Keeladi near
Madurai could be safely dated between the 8th century BCE and to 3rd
century CE, a significant finding that suggests that the
literature-rich Sangam Era could be 500 years older than it was
thought earlier.
A comprehensive report on the first and second phases of excavation by
ASI, which sprung a surprise by announcing that there were no
significant findings in the third phase, which runs into 982 pages,
has classified Keeladi, 12 km southeast of Madurai, to three periods,
sources told DH.
The three periods are the Pre-Early Historic Period (8th century BCE -
5th century BCE), Mature Early Historic Period (5th-century BCE - end
of the 1st century BCE), and Post Early Historic Period (end of the
1st century BCE - 3rd century CE), the sources added.
The archaeologists who conducted the excavation between 2014 and 2016
relied on carbon dating of artefacts and stratigraphy tests to arrive
at the said dates for Keeladi, where 18,000 artefacts have been
unearthed in eight seasons, serving as a proof of the existence of an
industrialised urban settlement on the banks of River Vaigai, sources
privy to the report said.
As many as 23 artefacts were sent for AMS dating to Beta Analytical
Lab in Florida and other institutes in the US. “All of them returned
with the date of 300 BCE,” a source said.
While the first three phases were conducted by the ASI, the Tamil Nadu
State Department of Archaeology (TNSDA) took over from the fourth
phase in 2018. The ninth phase is likely to be launched next month.
The period of Keeladi arrived at by the ASI is two centuries older
than the date published by the TNSDA following the carbon dating of
artefacts found during the fourth phase of excavation.
“While the earlier date for Keeladi was the 6th century, this report
seems to have arrived at a period of the 8th century which is
significant. This only means the Sangam period is much older than it
was thought to be. The period will certainly get pushed further if we
continue to focus on the site,” an expert told DH, not wanting to be
named.
The ASI report is very important as the agency explicitly announced in
2017 that there were “no significant findings” in the third phase of
excavation after unearthing over 5,500 artefacts in the first two
rounds.
Ramakrishna, who was quite vocal about the findings and called Keeladi
a Sangam-era site, was transferred to Assam immediately after the
second phase ended.
The transfer and ASI’s “no findings” in the third phase announcement
led to a massive controversy which was put to an end only after the
Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court asked the Tamil Nadu State
Department of Archaeology (TNSDA) to take over the excavations from
the fourth phase.
The ASI report, which has 12 chapters with detailed diagrams and
photographs of trenches, has 12 chapters that explain the historical
background and objective of the excavation, dwell into the structural
remains, potteries, graffiti shreds, terracotta objects, and different
types of coins that were found during the excavations from 2014 to
2016.
Over a dozen potteries and decorated potteries, including black and
red ware, red slipped ware, perforated ware, applique decoration,
jackfruit design, and incised decoration, were found in the
excavations along with terracotta beads, glass beads, shell beads,
ivory beads, and pearl beads.
Terracotta objects like human and animal figurines, pendants, ivory
objects, metal objects, glass objects, and stone objects were also
unearthed from Keeladi.
The report has a separate chapter discussing the AMS dating of 23
samples done by the world-renowned Beta Analytical Lab, Florida, and
universities in India that establish the time period of the site,
faunal remains from the site, and phytolith and pollen analyses at
Keeladi, a source in the know told DH.
Another source said a report on scientific studies and
characterisation of silver punch-marked coins and copper coins found
from the site is also included in the voluminous book.
Archaeologists who worked in Keeladi at different times say
overwhelming evidence of industries based on beads and terracotta
having existed there were unearthed in the past eight years. DH had,
on November 18, 2022, reported that detailed analyses of plants and
soil from Keeladi have shown that surplus production of rice in the
area might have paved the way for an increase in trade 2,000 years
ago.
“This finding by the French Institute of Pondicherry has been included
in the report,” the source said. Archaeologists who worked in Keeladi
at different times told DH that overwhelming evidence of industries
based on beads and terracotta having existed there were unearthed in
the past eight years.
These archaeological findings have created a buzz with researchers and
archaeologists in Tamil Nadu, calling them significant as they “narrow
down” the gap between the Tamil urban settlements and the Indus Valley
Civilisation (IVC). However, they say “more evidence” should be
forthcoming, while experts outside Tamil Nadu categorically rule out
any link between Keeladi and IVC.
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