THOOTHUKUDI: Thoothukudi has many archaeological sites, but no proper place to display artefacts. Several hundreds of antiquities are being unearthed along the Thamirabarani river, and though there used to be an archaeological museum at Korkai, it was shut in the 1990s citing poor footfall. Now, the demand for a museum is growing.
The banks of the Thamirabarani are dotted with ancient villages with remains of ancient settlers. British India’s superintending engineer Alexander Rea identified 37 such villages between 1899 and 1905, and based on his detailed accounts, the State government mooted a study on the Thamirabarani river valley civilisation.
While the Adichanallur archaeological site dates back to 905 BC, carbon dating of charcoal samples from Korkai reveals they are from 785 BC, attesting the existence of a 3,000-year-old-culture along the Thamirabarani river valley. Prehistoric settlements found in Uzhakudi, Vasavappapuram, Kongurayakurichi and others are yet to be excavated.
Archaeologists are now pursuing excavations in the Korkai cluster of villages, Sivagalai cluster, and Adichanallur cluster, and the findings reveal fascinating cultures, traditions, skills in pottery, earthenware, industrial activity, and the lifestyle of prehistoric people. But the artefacts are stored in government offices without proper facilities for the public to view them.
Several hundreds of ancient antiquities unearthed by German archaeology enthusiast Dr Jagor at Adichanallur in 1876 are said to be stored at the Ethnological Museum of Berlin. Artefacts unearthed by Rea and subsequent archaeologists until Dr Sathyamurthy in 2004-06 are stored at the Fort museum in Chennai.
“If Thoothukudi had an archaeology museum, the artefacts would be exhibited here for the public, tourists and foreigners, and would make the locals proud,” said A Sankar, executive director of Empower India.
Suspecting that the antiquities excavated now would be taken to Madurai or Chennai for better display, he said a world-class museum should be built between Palayakayal and Mullakadu on the Rameswaram-Thoothukudi-Tiruchendur highway stretch to exhibit the artefacts.
“The Palayakayal-Mullakadu stretch is near the archaeological sites in Korkai, Maramangalam, Agaram, Arumugamangalam, Sivagalai and Adichanallur, among others, is frequented by tourists and pilgrims going to Tiruchendur Murugan temple,” he said, adding that it could be named ‘Heritage corridor’.
Muthalankurichi Kamarasu, whose PIL against the ASI forced it to publish a report on the archaeological survey at Adichanallur in 2004-06, said a world-class museum is needed. It should be built near Karungulam on the Tiruchendur-Tirunelveli road, which is near archaeological sites and the Thamirabarani river valley, where Tamil civilisation began, he added.
Manickam, a history teacher at Sivagalai, another archaeological site in the district, says museums should be built in the respective villages, as it would be a matter of pride for the villagers. Villagers had also begun a signature campaign to reopen the Korkai archaeological museum.
However, a senior archaeological officer, wishing to remain anonymous, said a world-class museum should be set up at Punnakayal, a busy fishing hamlet at the mouth of the Thamirabarani. Constructing museums in every village would be impractical, and would cause tourists and research scholars to get exhausted, he added.
Minister for Tamil Culture, Archeology, Industries Department Thangam Thennarasu, told TNIE there are plans to set up in-situ museums in Thoothukudi.