Stoic clusters of rocks, pebbles and rusted fragments recently made people pause and ponder during a recent science fair at Maharaja’s College. I, too, stopped by the exhibition stall flummoxed.
The collection belonged to A K Ali, a painting contractor from Mekkalady near Kalady, whose decades-long fascination with stones has evolved into an exploration of history.
Organised by the college’s history department, the exhibition presented artefacts that looked insignificant to an untrained eye, but bear marks of human use and settlement from a far earlier time. The rocks and pebbles, apparently, offer clues to ancient human life along the banks of the Periyar.
That prompted me to catch up with 63-year-old Ali, whose journey into archaeology began accidentally.
“About 25 years ago, I often used to go on night walks along Mukkadai Thode — a stream originating in Ayyampuzha and flowing into the Periyar — to catch fish. Once, I noticed smooth, unusual stones glinting under my torchlight,” he recalls.
“I started picking beautiful stones and putting them in my fishing basket. I thought I could use them in an aquarium at home.”
Over time, however, Ali noticed that many of these stones — including “chisel-like” ones — seemed to be specifically shaped. “Some bore sharp edges with clear signs of use. This curiosity led him to search for similar ones alongside the Periyar. I continue the practice to date,” he says.
“The turning point came when a professor from Kalady Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, who was known to me, pointed out that two of the stones in my collection were historical artefacts.”
Subsequently, history researchers and students started visiting him. “They were curious about the collection. They helped me understand its significance,” says Ali.
One of them was Sakhariya Thangal, head of the history department at Maharaja’s College. “Ali’s collection suggests the possibility of many more undiscovered artefacts across Kerala. Dedicated effort is needed to uncover them,” he notes.
Sakhariya adds that several experts, including Prof. Shailaja Kumar from Thanjavur University, have examined the artefacts. “The sharpness and shaping of some pieces clearly indicate human use, even if the precise period remains undetermined,” he says.
Ali’s collection goes beyond stone tools. He has also recovered fossil rocks, pottery pieces, coins, iron weapons, including arrowheads, and slag. “I have received a certificate of authentication from the government, and regularly interact with researchers,” says Ali.
Well, is it legal to keep such artefacts in one’s possession? “Everything from the earth — gold, pots, and all such things found in public land — belongs to the revenue department,” Sakhariya explains.
“Items with cultural value, such as idols, must be handed over to the archaeology department or a university. In Ali’s case, the possession of stones and similar artefacts is not as complex as a treasure find.”
Ali would disagree. For him, his discoveries are a personal treasure. He, however, says he is more than willing to hand over his collection if any official department sought to conduct “genuine research” on the artefacts.