Centre to publish ASI’s Keeladi phase 1 & 2 findings in 9 months

MADURAI: The Union government on Monday told the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will publish the report on the first two phases of Keeladi archaeological excavations in Sivaganga district in nine months.

The assurance from the counsel representing the Centre came after the court directed the Union government to publish the report submitted by Superintending Archaeologist K Amarnath Ramakrishna of the ASI on phases one and two of excavations at Keeladi.

Petitioner P Prabhakar Pandian of Madurai, in his public interest litigation (PIL), sought a directive to place the report by the ASI on research in two phases from 2014 to 2016 at the Sangam-era excavation site in the public domain.

The first excavation phase was carried out in June 2015 and the second phase in January 2016. About 5,800 artefacts were unearthed at Keeladi during these excavations. Amarnath Ramakrishnan was transferred before the report was ready and the ASI stopped excavations stating there were no significant findings in phase 3 of the excavations carried out by Sriraman, the then Superintending Archaeologist, Excavation Branch, Bengaluru.

In 2017, the TN State Department of Archaeology took over the excavation and thousands of artefacts were unearthed, confirming the rich urban life of the ancient Tamils. While excavation reports of phases 4-9 during 2017 were published by the TN Archaeology Department, the reports of phases 1 and 2 have not yet been published.

Meanwhile, the official submitted a 982-page report to the ASI in January 2023 and the petitioner cited that he is aware of it through media. Further, on Jan 10, 2024, a reminder was sent to the respondents to publish a detailed report containing 12 chapters with over 900 pages. But, till now no action has been taken, the petitioner said.