CUDDALORE: Coinage from the Chola and Vijayanagara periods have been discovered on the banks of the Thenpennai River near Panruti by a team led by archaeological researcher C Immanuel (30) from Ulundampattu.
The team, which includes students V Pratap from Government ITI, Cuddalore, D David Rajkumar and S Velmurugan from Government Higher Secondary School, Thiruthuraiyur, S Mukeshbabu and N Tamilarasan from Government Higher Secondary School, Ulundampattu, made the significant discovery on Saturday.
Immanuel said, “Two of the three coins are 950 years old and belong to the Chola period. They bear the name ‘Rajarajan’ engraved in Devanagari script. During the Chola period, coins were minted in gold, silver, and copper. On the flip side of these coins, a person is depicted to be standing, holding a flower, and another seated to the left holding a conch.”
He added, “The Vijayanagara period coin features the name ‘Srineelakanda’ in Devanagiri on one side, while the other side depicts oxen and a crescent.” The researcher had previously unearthed ancient pottery fragments and well casings along the Thenpennai river bank.