MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on Tuesday sought a report from the state archaeological department on whether any further excavations would be conducted at Alagankulam village in Ramanathapuram district.
A Bench of justices R Subramanian and L Victoria Gowri gave the direction on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by an advocate G Thirumurugan from Ramanathapuram to conduct further excavations in and around Alagankulam and to publish the final reports relating to the earlier excavations conducted in the village.
According to Thirumurugan, Alagankulam, which is situated on the east coast of the district, is believed to have been an important trade centre or port city during the Sangam Era. Many antiquities and structures, which could go a long way in proving the existence of ancient urban Tamil civilization, were unearthed during the excavations conducted in Alagankulam village from 1980 to 2017, he claimed and wanted the artefacts to be displayed in the government museum.
But the government counsel produced a status report stating that draft reports of the last two sessions of excavations are ready and the final reports would be completed in three months. With regard to the establishment of the museum, the report added that steps are being taken to acquire land and get the necessary funds for the project. However, since the report did not mention anything about future excavations in the area, the judges issued the above direction and adjourned the case.