THOOTHUKUDI: State Department of Archaeology on Wednesday concluded the excavations at Sivagalai and Adichanallur that began on May 25. For the first time, a habitation site has been identified in Adichanallur, and the excavations at the spot yielded over 300 antiquities and 14 urns, including a baby urn from the site.
Deputy Director of Department of Archaeology R Sivanandan said that terracotta pipes, graffiti Tamil Brahmi scripts, hopscotches and several other household articles were discovered at the habitation site. Meanwhile in Sivagalai, the archaeologists unearthed 96 antiquities and 31 urns of different sizes that contained human bones, teeth, jaws.
Besides ashes and paddy in small pots have also been unearthed.The antiquities discovered include a copper coin, shell bangle, grinding and rubbing stones, figurines, petrosphere, stone and iron objects, flake tools, white-painted ware, red and black earthen wares, lid knobs, and pots of different sizes.
Sivanand said that the excavations at both the sites were completed, and would be followed by the documentation works. The department has applied to the Centre seeking a nod for further excavations at the sites, he added.
Srivaikuntam Tahsildar Gopalakrishnan, writers Kamarasu and Narambuathan were present during the final excavation. On Tuesday evening, Thoothukudi MP Kanimozhi and Madurai MP Su Venkatesan visited the archaeological sites. Tiruchendur MLA Anitha Radhakrishnan was also present. Kamarasu submitted a memorandum to Kanimozhi, urging her to take steps to publish the official report on the archaeological survey conducted at Adichanallur between 2004 and 2006.