CM inaugurates archaeological exhibition

Coimbatore: Chief minister M K Stalin inaugurated an exhibition of artefacts, both original and models, that were excavated from archaeological sites such as Keeladi in Sivaganga, Mayiladumparai in Krishnagiri, Kodumanal in Erode and Porunai in Tamirabarani on VOC grounds here on Thursday morning.
The expo also features 190 paintings that highlight the achievements of Stalin during his one year in office. He took a tour, enjoying the paintings, and archaeological exhibits. Officials with the archaeology department introduced various artefacts to him.
Stalin was accompanied by ministers Thangam Thennarasu, T M Anbarasan, M P Saminathan, V Senthil Balaji and Kayalvizhi Selvaraj, and city mayor Kalpana Anandakumar.
Minutes after Stalin left the venue, his wife Durga Stalin visited the exhibition.
An official said models of burial urns and ring wells, which were excavated from Keeladi and nearby areas, were on display, along with brick structures and burial grounds found at Adichanallur, Korkai and Sivakalai, and original artefacts found at Kodumanal and Mayiladumparai. The exhibition would be open to the public for 10 days.
Asai Thambi, incharge of Mayiladumparai excavation, said iron implements unearthed from the site have predated all the other iron objects documented in the country. The oldest iron object found in the site was dated 2,172 BCE, which is older than the ones found at Brahmagiri in Karnataka (2,040 BCE).
“Several neolithic tools were also found at the site. It has helped prove that the iron age at Kodumanal started well before 4,200 years ago,” he said.
J Ranjith, incharge of Kodumanal excavation, said glass bangles, shell bangles, hopscotches, gamesmen, smoking pipes, etched carnelian beads, unfinished quartz beads, multi-coloured glass beads and potsherds with Tamil Brahmi letters were on display. He said more than 1,000 such potsherds were found at the site so far.
“The raw material used for making carnelian beads are available only in Gujarat. Finding raw materials and carnelian beads at Kodumanal establishes that there were trade activities between the two places in the olden times,” he said.