Keezhadi
Keezhadi | |
|---|---|
Village | |
 Archaeological site | |
  Keezhadi Location in Tamil Nadu, India  Keezhadi Keezhadi (Tamil Nadu) | |
| Coordinates:9°51′47″N78°10′56″E/ 9.8630727°N 78.1820931°E | |
| Country | India |
| State | Tamil Nadu |
| District | Sivagangai |
| Region | Madurai |
| Government | |
| • Body | Panchayat |
| • President | V Venkatasubramanian |
| Elevation | 123 m (404 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 5,140 |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30(IST) |
| PIN | 630611 |
| Telephone code | 04574 |
| Assembly constituency | Manamadurai |
| Lok Sabhaconstituency | Sivagangai |
Keezhadi,also spelt Keeladi, is a village near the village ofSilaiman,on the border betweenMaduraiandSivagangaidistricts, inTamil Nadu,India. TheKeezhadi excavation siteis located in this area: excavations carried out by theArchaeological Survey of India(ASI) and theTamil Nadu Archaeology Department(TNAD) have revealed aSangam erasettlement dated to the 6th century BCE byradiocarbon dating.[1]Claims that the results show that there was writing at that time have been challenged. It is not clear whether the potsherds containing inscriptions were found in the samearchaeological layeras the 6th century samples, and University of Calcutta archaeologist Bishnupriya Basak said that "This unfortunately is not clear from the report and is very crucial", adding that the issues of "layer, period and absolute dates" needed clarity. Dravidian University archaeologist E. Harsha Vardhan said that a single report was not enough to "state scientifically that theTamil-Brahmiscript belongs to the sixth century BC ".[2]
Excavations
[edit]An archaeological survey team under ArchaeologistAmarnath Ramakrishna [3]was first conducted in 2013 in the vicinity of theVaigairiver fromTheni districttoRamanathapuram districtwhere the river meets the sea.[4]During the study, 293 sites, including Keezhadi, were identified to have archaeological residues.[5]The first three phases of excavation at Keezhadi were conducted by theArchaeological Survey of India,and they dropped it from doing further research. A public interest litigation was filed and following that the court ordered the regional depart to carry forward, following which the fourth and fifth phases were conducted by theTamil Nadu Archaeology Department.
Carbon nanomaterials in Keezhadi pottery
[edit]A team of researchers identified pottery shards at Keezhadi that contain carbonnanomaterials,including single-walled and multi-walled carbon nanotubes.[6]
Keezhadi Heritage Museum
[edit]Keezhadi Heritage museum was inaugurated by Tamil Nadu Chief MinisterM.K. Stalinon 5 March 2023 inSivaganga,close to the historic archaeological site which was discovered in 2014. The museum has been established at a cost of ₹18.42 crore across 31,000 square feet of land. Built in aKaraikudibasedtraditional Chettinad style,the architecture displays artefacts and antiquities excavated from the site since 2017 in the present-daySivaganga districtby theTamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology.[7][8] On display would be artefacts like dice made of ivory and terracotta, male and female figurines made of terracotta, iron dagger, and punch-mark coins. The museum will also display replicas of the trenches and some of the urns that were unearthed inKonthagai,believed to be the burial site of inhabitants of Keezhadi. The museum has six display halls – only ground floor in three, two with mezzanine floors and one with mezzanine and first floor – and an auditorium where visitors will be treated to documentaries on excavations in Keezhadi and their significance.[9]
Transport
[edit]Air
[edit]Nearest airport to Keezhadi isMadurai International Airport15.2 Kms away from Keezhadi.
Rail
[edit]Nearest railhead is Silaiman Railway Station 2.7 Kms away from Keezhadi. Nearest major railhead isMadurai Junction Railway Station13.4 Kms away from Keezhadi.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^Dennis S. Jesudasan (20 September 2019)."Keezhadi excavations: Sangam era older than previously thought, finds study".The Hindu.
- ^Charuch, Sukanya (17 October 2019)."Experts Question Dates of Script in Tamil Nadu's Keeladi Excavation Report".The Wire Science.The Wire (India).Retrieved12 April2020.
- ^The Hindu Net Desk (16 May 2017)."Keezhadi excavation leads to ancient civilisation on the banks of Vaigai".The Hindu.
- ^Sruthisagar Yamunan (11 May 2017)."Sangam-era site at Keezhadi is as complex as Indus Valley, proof of a glorious Tamil civilisation".Scroll.in.
- ^The Hindu Net Desk (13 June 2017)."Keezhadi excavation: what was found and what they mean".The Hindu.
- ^Kokarneswaran, Manivannan; Selvaraj, Prakash; Ashokan, Thennarasan; Perumal, Suresh; Sellappan, Pathikumar; Durai Murugan, Kandhasamy; Ramalingam, Sivanantham; Mohan, Nagaboopathy; Chandrasekaran, Vijayanand (13 November 2020)."Discovery of carbon nanotubes in sixth century BC potteries from Keeladi, India".Scientific Reports.10(1): 19786 1–6.Bibcode:2020NatSR..1019786K.doi:10.1038/s41598-020-76720-z.PMC7666134.PMID33188244.
- ^"CM Stalin inaugurates museum displaying artefacts excavated from Keeladi site".Hindustan Times.Retrieved20 March2023.
- ^"Tamil Nadu CM Stalin inaugurates Keeladi museum in Sivaganga".Indian Express.Retrieved20 March2023.
- ^"Tamil Nadu: Chettinad architecture for museum at Sangam-era site of Keeladi".Deccan Herald.Retrieved20 March2023.
