THOOTHUKUDI: Experts at the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) unearthed a gold diadem from a huge burial urn while excavating the museum site at Adichanallur on Monday. This is the second gold ornament found at Adichanallur in the recent excavation phase.
The officials said the precious metal was found inside a huge urn discovered in a pit with a diameter of 2.63 feet. The urn was interred into a rock of the same diameter. VP Yathees Kumar, who led the excavation, said the gold diadem was 3.5 cm long and found at the depth of 4.40 metres. “The diadem is yet to be measured accurately as it is folded on both edges, and also its weight is yet to be ascertained as has sand content now,” he said.
Another ASI expert said the urn contained a number of objects that were made of gold, bronze or iron. As many as 20 iron objects — two inside and 18 outside the urn burial — were unearthed. On the outside, it contained 11 arrow heads, two spear heads, one hanger, an iron plate, a chisel and a long spear of 1.75 metre with a decorated handle.
The bronze objects included a circular sieve, a cup with a stand, and two bowls. Interestingly, the cup had a moulded decoration. The urn also had a number of pots, and red and black earthen wares of varying sizes. As per the ASI expert, the urn also contained paddy husks.
Collector Dr K Senthil Raj said this is surely one of the most valuable findings unearthed so far in the recent excavation phase. This find exactly suits all characteristics described by former ASI superintendent Alexander Rea in his Adichanallur excavation report of 1902.