15 sarcophagus unearthed near Vandavasi
“Eleven stone circles are being excavated and we have discovered terracotta pottery and iron implements which have to be studied further to find out their exact time period ”
TIRUVANNAMALAI: The ongoing excavations at Kilnamandi village 20 km from Vandavasi have brought to light 15 sarcophagus (Eeema Pezhai in Tamil) of which 4 are in pristine condition, according to excavation director J Victor Gnanaraj.
Revealing this to DT Next, he said, “The excavations started in March last with the state government sanctioning Rs 30 lakh. The iron age site is now being excavated thoroughly to discover what it will reveal about the history of those who lived here.”
“Eleven stone circles are being excavated and we have discovered terracotta pottery and iron implements which have to be studied further to find out their exact time period,” Gnanaraj added.
Site in-charge M Suresh reiterating this added that the sarcophagus was 3.5 feet long, 2 feet wide and 1 foot tall. “They date back about 2,500 years,” he added.
The idea of excavating at this site was due to some initial spadework being undertaken by the Tiruvannamalai Center for Historical Research whose secretary S Balamurugan contacted the archeology department some time ago after first getting information about the spot from locals.
Suresh said that though excavations were being undertaken by local labourers, they were being guided by two research scholars on the premises as also both himself and Gnanaraj. Also, archeology students from Madras University and Thanjavur-based Tamil University who come to the site on 10-day internships were also providing both assistance and guidance to local workers, he added.
When asked what the future held for the site’s excavations, Gnanaraj said it all depended on the findings at the site, which could even result in the artefacts being displayed locally. “However for that to happen, it will take some more time as all discoveries have to be time dated exactly,” he added.