Terracotta ring well unearthed at Agaram

A terracotta ring well with a diameter of 86 cm has been unearthed at Agaram village during the sixth phase of the excavations at Keeladi and its cluster.

“Although such ring wells have been discovered in the first, second, fourth and fifth phase of excavations, this is the first time it has been discovered in the sixth phase,” said Deputy Director of Archaeology and in charge of the excavations, R. Sivanandam. He added that the well was unearthed one week ago.

Five rings of the well are currently exposed at a depth of 2.28 m and remaining can be seen only upon further digging, he said. Currently, only one-third of the ring well is exposed.

An official from the State Department of Archaeology said that the construction of a ring well is the mark of a sophisticated civilization. “Much of the migration since stone age has been based on the availability of water in a particular area. The inhabitants of Keeladi created a system to ensure that they could make water available to them at all times of the day. This meant that they did not have to keep migrating during summer months. It could also be used for storage,” the official said.

The source added that the well has been constructed with interlocking rings which prevent the seepage of sand into the well and allow the percolation of water and air. The top ring is usually raised, the official said. “Ring wells show that water conservation existed 2,000 years ago. Much of the same construction techniques are used till date,” the official noted.