CHENNAI: Examination of the antiquities, including ancient urns, though broken pieces, recently found at Vedapatti tank near Perur in Coimbatore, revealed that they belonged to the Sangam Age and had the unique inscription of ‘burial urn’.
A group of volunteers stumbled upon the artefacts while carrying out desilting work in the tank. Subsequently, officials of the State Archaeological Department swung into action to examine the antiquities that opened a new window for study on ancient urns used for burial. According to R Sivanantham, Deputy Superintending Archaeologist, “A comparative analysis of the antiquities found at Vedapatti shows that they are 2,000 years old and belonged to the Sangam period, identified with Iron Age.”
One of the broken portions of an urn-of the size of 10.5 cmx6 cm- found in the site bore a two-line inscription made in Tamil Brahmi letters.
A careful study of the letters by two experts, K Rajan, Professor of History, Pondicherry University and R Poonguntran, a retired official of State Archaeology Department, deciphered it as ‘eemathazi’ with the last letter denoting the name of a person. The term ‘eemathazhi’ has reference in a popular Sangam poetry ‘Purananuru’. “The antiquities assume significance as it is for the first time that an ancient burial urn inscribed with ‘eemathazhi’ is found in Tamil Nadu and date back to 2000 years,” Sivanantham told Express.
One of the urns collected from Vedapatti had a one-feet long bone in ash colour. The archaeologists also found red ware and black and red wares-potsherds. Two ‘ring stands’ were also found. One was red in colour while the other was red outside and black inside. Another significant finding in the site was a ‘did’ ( a bowl) painted in white.
Significant findings
The archaeologists also found red ware and black and red wares-potsherds, two ‘ring stands’- one in red and other red outside - and a ‘did’ ( a bowl) painted in white