Intact huge burial urn unearthed at Keeladi site in Sivaganga

MADURAI: A huge burial urn was found intact during excavations at Kondagai, a small village in Manamadurai taluk of Sivaganga district, sources said on Friday.

In Keeladi and its cluster site excavations at Kondagai, the intact urn no. 123 was traced and exposed from the trench ZO3.

Some bones were retrieved and collected for DNA analysis.

In due course of excavations, while tracing the complete lid of this urn, eight grave goods were traced, including black and red ware (BRW) pottery, black slipped ware (BSW) ring stand and a lid and a red slipped ware (RSW) pot, R Sivanandam, Director of Archaeology, said.

The urn was traced at the depth of 67 cm, was found intact and the lid was carefully opened. When the urn was opened, initially on top, three RSW pots, three dish-cum-bowl, two miniature bowls and two lids were traced and the in-situ position was also recorded.

Further, he said skeletons were traced beneath these grave goods and samples were collected for DNA study.

On the same day, yet another urn was also opened and skeletons were retrieved. From urn No.116, intact skull, skeletal remains and a pot of RSW as grave goods inside the urn were traced and retrieved, he added.