VIRUDHUNAGAR: Glass beads and shell bangles were unearthed by archaeologists during the third phase of the Vembakottai excavation. So far, 2,860 antiquities and artefacts have been unearthed during the excavation.
According to sources, in the third phase of the excavation, archaeologists unearthed glass beads and shell bangles in 15 and 16 trenches. The excavation began on June 18 and the state government has allocated Rs 30 lakh. So far, artefacts including copper coins, amethyst beads and crystal beads have been unearthed and the excavation is to proceed till May, 2025. In the first two phases of excavations, 34 trenches were dug up and over 7,800 artefacts including shell bangles, beads and rings were unearthed.
Large quantities of Neolithic tools and raw materials used to make the tools were also unearthed. The findings during the excavation have revealed that the region could have been a hotbed for shell bangles.
The previous excavations also revealed a series of remains from prehistoric to the medieval period. The archaeological department is also taking measures to document all the evidence unearthed through the excavations and display the artefacts at a museum, being built at a cost of Rs 6.8 crore in Virudhunagar.