MADURAI: Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Saturday launched the seventh phase of excavations at Keeladi ancient site in Sivaganga district. Keeladi’s neighbouring villages Konthagai, Manalur and Agaram are also included in this phase of excavation.
Director of excavation R Sivanantham, Sivaganga district collector P Madhusudhan Reddy, archeological officials and research students were at the site when the chief minister launched work through video conferencing from Chennai.
The Archaeological Survey of India conducted the first three phases of excavation -- 2014-2015, 2015-2016 and 2016-2017, respectively. As many as 7,818 ancient artefacts which were evidence of a civilisation that had existed in the region since the Sangam era were unearthed in these excavations.
The Tamil Nadu state archaeology department conducted the fourth, fifth and sixth phases. It is conducting the seventh phase as well.
In the fourth phase that was conducted from 2017-2018, as many as 5,820 ancient artefacts and brick constructions were discovered. The fifth phase from 2018-2019 added another 900 findings, including a closed channel, spiral pipes and an open channel paved with bricks. The sixth phase from 2019-2020 resulted in the discovery of 2,672 artefacts, which included human and animal skeletons, burial urns, industrial furnaces, iron ore and brick constructions.