Keeladi finds, backed by radiocarbon dating, unveil thriving 6th-century BCE settlement in Tamil Nadu

Time of India

3 days ago

The archaeological site of Keeladi in Madurai has opened a new chapter in understanding Tamil Nadu's past.
Radiocarbon dating
by the US laboratory Beta Analytics has confirmed that the settlement dates back to the 6th-century BCE — making it contemporary with the urbanisation of the Gangetic plains — and remained a thriving center until the 2nd-century CE.
Of the 29 radiocarbon samples analysed by the
Tamil Nadu state department of archaeology
since the 2017-18 excavation season, the earliest dates back to 580 BCE and the most recent to 200 CE. Large brick structures from the Sangam Age unearthed at the site reflect the growth of an industrial and urban community, matching descriptions in
Sangam literature
.
'Most samples above the brick structures date to after the 3rd-century BCE, while those below go as far back as the 6th-century BCE,' said K Rajan, an archaeologist and advisor to the state's department of archaeology. 'This places Keeladi alongside the Gangetic plains in what is called India's second urbanisation.'
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Researchers are also close to reconstructing the face of a person who lived in the settlement, using 3D technology and anthropometric measurements from a human skull unearthed at the nearby Kondagai burial site. 'Based on the skull, we will reconstruct the age, dietary pattern, determine the gender, and actual face of the person,' said Rajan.
The state's department is currently working with more than 20 research institutions from India and abroad — including Liverpool University in the UK, University of Pisa in Italy, Field Museum in Chicago, French Institute of Pondicherry, IIT Gandhinagar, and Deccan College — to piece together life in Keeladi in 580 BCE. Scientists from Madurai Kamaraj University are also investigating human and animal DNA to uncover migration patterns of the ancient population.
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A range of artefacts — glass, ivory, pearl and terracotta beads; seals; dice; and unidentified copper coins — highlights a sophisticated society with a rich material culture. Gold and ivory finds suggest the people were wealthy, while the discovery of Tamil-Brahmi inscribed potsherds dates the script back to the 6th-century BCE. 'It shows Keeladi was an urban settlement with a literate society and a community of artisans,' said R Sivanandam, joint director of the state archaeology department. 'It was an industrial hub along an ancient trade route linking the east port of Alagankulam to Muziris on the west.'
Indologist R Balakrishnan explained: 'Keeladi has proved that Sangam literature was a lived experience of ancient Tamils and not imaginative stories.' Furthermore, dice made of terracotta and ivory — a form of entertainment — were also recovered. 'Kalithogai, the sixth of the eight anthologies of Sangam literature, makes a mention of such dice games.'
Other sites — Kodumanal, Porunthal, Sivagalai, Adichanallur and Korkai — have also produced dates from this period. 'Korkai has produced a date as early as 785 BCE, suggesting Sangam-age urbanisation was widespread.' Rajan added.
Despite 10 excavation seasons, only 4% of the total 110 acres at the site has been excavated. The state plans to continue its investigations and has set up a museum to showcase the finds — with a first-of-its-kind on-site museum in the works. 'Tamil Nadu has endured archaeological apathy for far too long until Keeladi sparked a wave of interest in the state's past,' said Balakrishnan. 'Keeladi is the first site that transformed the understanding of archaeology in Tamil Nadu.'