MADURAI: An ancient burial urn measuring 2.5 feet in height was found near T Kallupatti village near Madurai on Saturday. Dr. T Muneeswaran, professor of history at Sivagangai Government College of Arts for Women, and archeological field researcher at Madurai Pandya Naadu Cultural Centre, inspected the urn and said it belonged to the Paleolithic period.
Sources said the urn was unearthed when one of the villagers dug up his land to construct a sewage tank for his house. Upon information, Dr. Muneeswaran visited the village and examined the urn.
"During the early Paleolithic period, bodies of the dead were dumped outside their habitats in the mountains and forests. After it was eaten by animals, the residents collected the remaining bones, placed them in V-shaped earthen pots and buried the pots," he said.
The urn is 2.5 feet in height and 1.5 feet in width. Some human bones in addition to black and red coloured broken pottery tiles were found inside the urn. "The artefact has been sent to the village administration office for further examination," the professor added.