Latest news with #StateArchaeologyDepartment
The Hindu
27-07-2025
- The Hindu
Digital recreation of Portuguese Fort at Chaliyam in final stages
Efforts by the Kozhikode District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) to digitally recreate the Portuguese fort at Chaliyam, which was destroyed by the Zamorin's army in the 16th century, are in their final stages. The Chaliyam Fort holds a special place in the history of erstwhile Calicut under the Zamorins. The Portuguese built the fort at the mouth of the Beypore river around 1530, reportedly with the support of local chieftains opposed to the Calicut kingdom. It was constructed at a strategic location to corner the Zamorin, as the structure was just about 10 km from then Calicut city. The Zamorin's attack on the fort in 1571 followed his alliances with Bijapur Sultan Adil Shah and the Nizam Shah of Ahmadnagar for a 'joint enterprise against the Portuguese on the west coast,' writes K.V. Krishna Ayyar in his book Zamorins of Calicut. Official sources said on Sunday (July 27, 2025) that augmented reality (AR) 3D models and software to digitally recreate the Chaliyam Fort for viewers at the beach were ready. 'An interactive signboard will be installed at the site, allowing visitors to access the experience by scanning it with their mobile phones,' they added. 3D model of the fort The AR interface will offer three options— a 3D model of the fort, video descriptions in English and Malayalam detailing its history, and an immersive walkthrough that lets users open the fort's doors using augmented reality. The 3D model was developed by a research team from the State Archaeology Department and Government Arts and Science College, Kozhikode, after examining historical records. Mr. Ayyar, quoting from Zainuddin Makhdoom's Thuhfathul Mujahideen, wrote that it was agreed 'Adil Shah should attack Goa, Nizam Shah should march on Chaul, and the Zamorin should proceed against Chaliyam.' The Zamorin's army, consisting of Nairs and Muslims, bombarded the fort and blocked Portuguese reinforcements. Supplies sent by the Portuguese allies in Cochin and Cannanore were intercepted. Ayyar wrote that the Portuguese were 'compelled to devour dogs.' Soon after, the Portuguese captain surrendered. The Zamorin then demolished the fort, 'leaving not one stone upon another.' The Portuguese efforts to control Malabar ended soon after. The Calicut king later rebuilt the Mishkal Mosque at Kuttichira—earlier torched by the Portuguese—using wooden planks taken from the destroyed Chaliyam Fort.
The Hindu
15-07-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Second season of excavation at Porpanaikottai comes to an end
The State Archaeology Department has completed the second season of excavation works at Porpanaikottai a Sangam-era site in Pudukottai district. The excavation works had commenced on June 18, 2024. A total number of 17 trenches were dug and as many as 1, 982 antiquities were recovered during the excavation lasting 203 days. The antique items recovered during the excavations included glass beads, hopscotch, glass bangles, carnelian beads, amethyst, agate, bone point tool, copper nails, ivory dice, terracotta wheels, grinding and rubbing stones, terracotta bead, iron and copper objects. Torpedo Jar and russet coated ware were also found. Also recovered from the site were broken piece of gold ornament, an iron sword found broken in two pieces and a raw material of Agate stone. The excavation director T. Thangadurai said following completion of the works, the trenches were being closed. Samples had been lifted from the excavation site and documentation works would be carried out.
New Indian Express
28-06-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
Five years on, Tiruchy museum renovation still in limbo
TIRUCHY: The State Archaeology Department started renovation of Rani Mangammal's Darbar Hall, which acts as the government museum, started five years ago, but very little progress has been made so far. The museum was relocated from Cantonment to the Darbar Hall in 1998. Historians expressed concerns that hundreds of invaluable artefacts – ranging from stone sculptures and coins to palm-leaf manuscripts – that are cramped up in a single room to facilitate the renovation work could get irrevocably damaged without adequate protective measures. The State Archaeology Department approached the Union government with a proposal to restore the building, built in the 16th century by King Chokkanatha Nayak, after frescoes and decorative elements began to fade and in some places disappeared entirely. In response, the union government sanctioned Rs 3.75 crore under the Museum Grants Scheme in 2019 to renovate the hall. The first phase included cementing and interior painting, which were completed. However, due to the COVID-19 lock downs, the work came to a halt, and has not resumed. Open-air exhibits are particularly at risk. Several rare sculptures and historical objects, including a four-foot-tall Buddha statue, a 10th-century Mahaveer sculpture, 14th-century Pallava artefacts, an East India Company cannon, and idols of Hindu gods and goddesses, are exposed to the elements. Dr R Kalaikovan, director of the Dr Rajamanickanar Historical Research Centre, said his team had handed over 16 granite sculptures, including those of Buddha, Mahaveer, and Chola-period artefacts, to the museum. 'All the sculptures and artefacts must be preserved properly so this historical legacy can be passed on to future generations. If timely action is not taken, we risk losing our history,' he warned. Kalaikovan stressed that there is ample space around the hall for expansion and urged the district administration to allocate land within the premises for protective storage and display. He also opposed the proposal to shift the museum to Panjapur. 'The current location is ideal, surrounded by schools and colleges. Since the land is already government-owned, there's no need to relocate. Even the Madras Museum was expanded at its original site,' he added. Speaking to P Manimuthu, Curator of the Government Museum, told TNIE, 'We are waiting for funds to be released by the government. Once the funds are sanctioned, the work will be completed. We have already submitted the request.'
The Hindu
13-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Keeladi findings don't serve the script of ‘BJP-RSS ecosystem', says Chief Minister M.K. Stalin
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Friday charged that the 'BJP-RSS ecosystem' recoiled from the archaeological findings from Keeladi in Tamil Nadu not because evidence was lacking, but 'because the truth does not serve their script.' Mr. Stalin's comments were made a few days after Union Minister for Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat contended that the findings from Keeladi were not technically well-supported. In a social media post, Mr. Stalin cited a newspaper report on archaeological findings from Keeladi site, which reiterated the findings published by the State Archaeology Department in its 2019 report 'Keeladi-An Urban Settlement of Sangam Age on the Banks of River Vaigai' on the site's 6th Century connection based on carbon dating. 'Ample proof' Mr. Stalin said: 'Even when confronted with carbon-dated artefacts and accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) reports from international laboratories on the Keeladi excavations, they continue to demand 'more proof'. And here is the 'Proof'.' 'Despite strong opposition from respected historians and archaeologists, the BJP continues to promote the mythical Sarasvati Civilisation. They do so without credible evidence, while dismissing the rigorously proven antiquity of Tamil culture,' Mr. Stalin contended. He added: 'We fought for centuries to unearth our history. They fight every day to erase it. The world is watching. So is time.' Minister Thangam Thennarasu (holding the archaeology portfolio) in a social media post, too cited the newspaper report about the findings from the Keeladi site, which said that the radiocarbon dating traced the site's origin to 580 BCE (as published in the 2019 report). 'For those who point to insufficient evidence, it has been the history of the Tamils to prove them scientifically with evidence.' He recalled that the DMK government, which had been demonstrating the antiquity of the Tamil land using archaeological evidence backed by science, had increased the allocation to archaeology from ₹5 crore to ₹7 crore. Recently, the Archaeological Survey of India, under the Union Ministry of Culture, directed its archaeologist Amarnath Ramakrishna, who unearthed an ancient civilization in Keeladi, to resubmit his report about the excavation after making necessary corrections for taking further action. However, Mr. Ramakrishna stood by his report.
