About Keeladi

India’s Archaeological Survey (ASI) conducted explorations of 293 artefacts along the Vaigai river valley in the districts of Theni, Dindigul, Madurai, Sivaganga, and Ramanathapuram in 2013-14. The Sivaganga district’s Keezhadi was selected for excavation, and the ASI discovered artefacts during the second excavation stage in Pallichanthai Thidal of Keezhadi attested to an ancient civilisation that thrived on the borders of the Vaigai. Findings from Keeladi excavations in Tamil Nadu indicated that the era of Sangam, formerly thought to be as old as the third millennium BC, is as old as the 6th century BC.

Keeladi Excavations

Keezhadi in the Sivaganga district was chosen for the Keeladi excavation, and items recovered by the ASI in the excavation’s second phase at Pallichanthai Thidal of Keezhadi mentioned an old civilisation that existed on the Vaigai’s banks. Carbon dating of charcoal discovered at the Keeladi site in February 2017 determined that the community was formed around 200 BC. Thus, the excavations demonstrated that urban civilisation existed during the era of Sangam in Tamil Nadu.

• ASI’s first phase of excavations in 2015 yielded artefacts that “offer critical evidence to comprehending the missing linkages of from the Age of Iron [twelfth century before the common era to sixth century Bc] to the Back In the ancient Period [sixth century before the common era to fourth century Bc] and subsequent development of culture.”
• Round 2 (2016): Clues point to a Tamil civilisation with commercial linkages to other parts of the nation and beyond. Tamil poets from the era of Sangam have depicted this culture.
• There were no “important discoveries” in the third round (in 2017).
• The fourth round of State Department of Archeology (2018): Brick constructions and terracotta ring wells, tiles from fallen roofing, shattered copper item fragments, iron utensils, terracotta chess pieces, ear decorations, spindle whorls, figurines, redware and black, rouletted ware, as well as certain Arretine ware, were discovered, as well as composed of beads terracotta, glass, and semi-precious stones.
• Major discoveries: We know Tamil [the Tamil-Brahmi alphabet] dates back to the fifth century before the common era, according to radiometric dates retrieved from the archaeological sites of Alagankulam, Kodumanal, and (TN). However, most of the latest scientific dates on Keeladi discoveries are from another era. Cultural deposits discovered during the fourth excavation at Keeladi in the Sivaganga region may date from the sixth to first centuries CE.
• In the fifth session, “a paradigm shift.” The SDA used UAV Study, Magnetometer Study, and Radar penetrating the ground Study to conduct “guided excavation.” Several structures were discovered as a result of guided excavation.
• In Keeladi, personal names are etched in Brahmi-Tamil script on the outside surface of the black shoulder and red pottery.
• Among the fragments has the vowel ‘o’ at the start of the title; this is unusual in pottery and cave inscriptions. Several glyphs found in Keeladi potsherds are similar to Indus Valley signs.

The Socio-Economic Conditions of The Vaigai Valley Civilisation

• A 1000-year cultural gap exists between the Keeladi vs Indus Valley civilisation, often filled by Iron Age relics south of India. The vandalism signs discovered at south Indian Sites from the Iron Ages are the remaining linkages between the Keeladi vs Indus Valley civilisation.
• There was no evidence of religious observance.
• Buildings and industrial units: It may have been utilised to transport melted metal or liquid filters, indicating the presence of humans engaged in industrial activity.
• Deals: Just several centuries before the common era, ceramic fragments exhibit earth content comparable to other locations, implying that they dealt in goods with other regions. Brick constructions, luxury products, and external and internal evidence of commerce characterise urban civilisation.
• Employment: According to the antiquities, agriculture was the main invasion of Keeladi people, augmented by the metallurgical industries and carpentry, ceramics, and weaving. Animal skeleton fragments indicate that the inhabitants were mostly cattle ranchers.

Keeladi’s Importance: A Smart Urban Settlement

• Throughout the Early Period of History, it has provided evidence of Tamil Nadu’s Settlements and urban life.
• Khiladi has significantly increased the authority of the literature of Sangam.
• Conch shell: Typical of the Civilization of the Indus Valley, which appears to have occurred widely in Indus towns, was collected from the Madras Presidency’s southeast coast.
• The most notable discovery is a 340-metre-long continuous brick construction.
• The old sport, known as jallikattu, is also represented by the Bos indicus hugging the bull, which was popular in communities near Keeladi.
• Construction material analysis revealed that each specimen consists of silica, iron, aluminium, lime,  and magnesium.
• Pottery: The procedure was common to Keeladi’s potters [of utilising Hematite for red and charcoal for black], and they understood how to raise the kiln’s temperature to 1100°C to make the classic earthenware in black and red.
• Archaeology has gained in importance.

Conclusion

In 2017, several Tamil academics, notably V Arasu, head of the Department of Tamil Studies at Madras University, claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government deliberately slowed excavations at Keezhadi. Arasu argued that the BJP administration had a Hindutva agenda and sought to halt the Keezhadi or Keeladi excavations because they gave “undeniable proof that South India has a secular culture.”

Normally, the ASI excavates at a major archaeological site for five seasons (years). After the second season, About Keeladi, concluded in 2016–17, the ASI moved Superintending Archaeologist (SA) K. Amarnath Ramakrishna to its Guwahati circle.