Chief Minister Stalin launches archaeological excavations in eight sites including Keeladi phase 10

CHENNAI: Chief Minister M K Stalin on Tuesday inaugurated archaeological excavation in eight sites in the state, including Kondhagai adjoining the famed Keezhadi village in Sivagangai in 2024.

As a part of the commencement of excavations by the state archaeological department in Tamil Nadu in the calendar year, the chief minister inaugurated from the state secretariat the excavations at Keezhadi and adjoining Kondhagai in Sivagangai, Vembakottai in VirudhuNagar, Keelnamandi in Tiruvannamalai, Porpanaikotai in Pudukottai, Tirumalapuram in Tenkasi, Sennanur in Krishnagiri, Konganagaram in Tiruppur and Marungur in Cuddalore.

Claiming that Tamil Nadu was a landscape with a human history dating back to 15 lakh years and new light has been thrown on the history of Tamil Nadu through the scientific archaeological expeditions undertaken by the state archaeological department, a release issued by the state government said that scientific archaeological expeditions would be undertaken at the aforesaid eight locations this year to enrich the pride of the antiquity of Tamil culture, technology and its values.

While the excavation would be the first stage in Marungur, Kongalnagaram, Sennanur and Tirumalpuram, the archaeological digs at Keelnamandi and Porpanaikotai would be the second stage of excavations. Vembakottai and Kondhagai near Keezhadi would be the third and tenth phase of expeditions, respectively.

Chief Minister Stalin also released two books, a report of the state archaeological department on the excavations undertaken at Perumbalai in Dharmapuri in 2022-23 and Tamil Nadu Inscriptions Volume – 27, a summary of the 138 inscriptions unearthed in Chengalpet.

According to the government release, as many as 804 artefacts have been unearthed through the continuous excavations in Keezhadi since 2014. Likewise, over 7,800 artefacts were unearthed from 34 excavation pits at Vembakotai in Virudhunagar.