Tamil univ team finds proof of settlement near Sirkazhi

The department of Maritime History and Marine Archeology of Tamil University in Thanjavur, which organised the excavation with permission of the Archaeological Survey of India, stumbled upon black and red ware pottery, among other objects at the site during the process. A workshop of a blacksmith, and black and red ware pottery bearing the graffiti of a fish were also traced. 

Mentioning the reason for choosing the site for excavation, experts involved in the process said Nangur was an important settlement during the Sangam Age, with Nangur Vel as the village chief. Nangur reportedly even finds mention in Pattinappaalai and Porunararruppatai.  “The Sangam Age king, Karikalan, is said to have married the daughter of Nangur Vel, according to local legend. The Vaishnava Alvar songs mention about the temples of Nangur,” said associate professor Dr V Selvakumar, who led the excavation. He added that there was important evidence related to Nangur in the inscription at Takua Pa in Thailand which mentions about Nangurutaiyan, who dug a tank and was placed in the custody of Manigramattar.

With Nangur being cited a ‘Naadu’ and in order to understand its formation and the importance of settlements in the lower Cauvery Valley, the excavation was undertaken, sources said.

Among the artefacts discovered were Chola roof-tiles with folded end and rounded tip, terracotta figurines, ear ornaments, dice, glass and stone beads, and bangle fragments. While the terracotta figurines reveal excellent workmanship, such settlement evidence unearthed from more than three-metre depth has revealed that Nangur was an important settlement of the Sangam Age, and that it was occupied from the Sangam Age to the present, sources said.

The research suggested that many of the Divayadesams and Devaram settlements indicate human habitation since the Iron Age.

Tamil University Vice-Chancellor Dr. G Balasubramaniam visited the site and observed the university’s efforts to understand the history and culture of Tamils. Prof. Mark Hauser from Northwestern University in the USA, who explored the Danish settlement of Tranquebar, also visited the site for comparative studies.

More research and radiocarbon dating are proposed to be undertaken at the site.