No decision on 8th phase excavation at Keeladi: Minister

MADURAI: No decision has been taken on the eighth phase of excavation at Keeladi, said minister for archaeology Thangam Thennarasu who inspected the findings of the seventh phase of excavation at Keeladi.
The minister made a surprise visit to the archaeological site on Tuesday and climbed down into a 7ft deep quadrant to inspect the artefacts found in various levels of the soil structure. He was accompanied by commissioner for archaeology R Sivanantham.
Excavation has been completed in seven phases in Keeladi and carried out twice in the cluster villages of Konthagai, Manalur and Agaram. This is the first time that the Tamil Nadu State Archaeology Department has left the quadrants open without filling it with soil after the excavation ended as it plans to establish an open site museum.
The minister told reporters that the visitors would see the artefacts in their natural surroundings when the museum is established and that it would be a first-of-its-kind to be established in Tamil Nadu.
He said that the department would seek the help of IIT-Madras to protect and preserve the brick structures in the quadrants. Thennarsu added that the image of a fish imprinted on a ring well discovered in the seventh phase and engraved coins found here strengthened the theory that the people who lived here had commercial transactions with other parts of the country, namely north India.