VILLUPURAM: Chidambaram Archaeological Officer P Bhaskar on Monday conducted a field visit to assess the conditions of ancient urn and terracotta pieces near Parikal Lake at Natham village near Ulundurpet. The officer’s visit was directed by T Udhayachandran, Commissioner of Department of Archaeology, following a petition submitted by writer and archeological researcher K Senguttuvan requesting the government to protect these ancient urns by excavating them and protecting the area under Archaeological Survery of India (ASI).
Senguttuvan told Express, “Parikal Natham area possesses rich ancient burial urns that imply the existence of a civilised community along Thenpennai river. There are more than 20 spots in the area where burial urns and terracotta pieces are found. But, today the land belongs to private landowners and it should be taken from private ownership. The area should be brought under the control of ASI and protected as a monument.” Senguttuvan and his team conducted fieldwork in the village of Natham at Ulundurpet in September 2019, when they found large number of ancient burial urns buried near Parikal Lake. “The urn is estimated to be 2,000 years old and it is on the verge of disappearance.
There must have been a lot of urns in the area. Their broken parts and pot tiles are found throughout the area”, said S Saravanakumar. The team then petitioned to Chief Minister’s cell, Commissioner of the Department of Archaeology and District Collector of Villupuram insisting that these urns must be excavated and preserved by the government. P Bhaskar said, “Details of the site must be obtained from Parikal VAO and Ulundurpet Tahsildar. Report of the field visit along with the details will be submitted to the commissioner of Department of Archaeology sooner.”