MADURAI: State Archeology Department got approval from the Central Advisory Board of Archaeology (CABA) to carry out the excavations at seven sites in Tamil Nadu for the financial year 2020-21.
Madurai MP Su Venkatesan welcoming the move said that it is for the first time that the State Archaeology Department would conduct excavations at these many sites at a time.
The seven sites include Keezhadi and the surrounding areas of Sivaganga district, Adichanallur, Sivagalai, Korkai and the surrounding areas of Thoothukudi district, Kodumanal in Erode district, Mayiladumparai in Krishnagiri district and Gangaikonda Cholapuram and Maligaimedu in Ariyalur district.
The department would also conduct a site inspection to identify new stone age areas in Krishnagiri, Vellore, Dharmapuri, Thiruvannamalai and Salem districts.
In a bid to discover the Thamirabharani river civilisation, site inspections would also be held at Thoothukudi and Tirunelveli districts. Official sources said that the approval from CABA came on January 5 this year.
Venkatesan further said that this excavation holds the significance of including sites from all across Tamil Nadu and the excavation would also help in studying the three major time periods, including new stone age, prehistoric and the historic period.