THOOTHUKUDI: Signalling potential for an archaeological expedition, antiques collected from Pattinamaruthur village near Tharuvaikulam along the east coast of Thoothukudi indicates existence of a vibrant trade centre at par with Korkai on the banks of Thamirabarani River. Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu on Friday had announced an archaeological excavation at Pattinamaruthur in the state Budget for FY2025-26.
The Pattinamaruthur archaeological site was exposed by an enthusiast P Rajesh (46), who collected a number of artefacts during his search for an old Perumal temple at Tharuvaikulam.
According to Rajesh, he had collected artefacts, including potteries, metal ornaments, conch ornaments, stone tools, terracotta pipeline, iron foundry, casting scraps and ceramic wares from 300 acres of area in Pattinamaruthur and other nearby villages of Kalmedu, Melamaruthur, Samathuvapuram and Tharuvaikulam.
Antiques including female deities made of sand and limestone mixture, idols of Naga, remains of gem beads and scraps were found here, he said. Apart from Tamil inscriptions indicating ‘vattezhuthu’ of the 8th century, Rajesh collected old pattern Arabic inscriptions, pottery graffiti identical of manding script, ‘kitalaware’, which has to be studied and verified by archaeological experts, Rajesh said.
Rajesh identified ancient hero stones depicting the Vathabi Ganapathy war incident, a sati stone engraved with Buddha images at Pattinamaruthur and a dilapidated Perumal temple symbolising triads cult at Tharuvaikulam.
Rajesh, who is also a numismatist, has a collection of 19 coins from the Pandya and Chola periods with each containing a substantial blend of gold ranging from 2.4% to 47% from Pattinamaruthur. Chinese and Greek coins made of bronze were also found.
He said most artefacts and antiques were deposited to Ottapidaram and Pattinamaruthur VAO (Village Administrative Officer) office, while only a few are still in his possession.
Archaeological enthusiasts claimed that Tharuvaikulam is allegedly an ancient trade centre referred to as ‘Kilpatinam’ or ‘City of Cail’ as mentioned by Venetian traveller Marcopolo, who visited the coast in 1292, This needs corroboration by historical experts as the coastal city of Kayalpattinam near Korkai is principally believed to be Kilpatinam.
Rajesh said the coastal area has witnessed extensive industrial activities such as conch cutting, manufacturing of shell bangles, rings and other ornaments. Besides gem bead works indicate a vibrant trade centre, which has a potential for archaeological excavation.