Archaeology Department to launch excavations at more historical sites this year

They will be taken up at Pattaraiperumbudur, Porpanaikottai, Bhoothinatham and Kilnamandi

Spurred by the growing public interest in ancient history and archaeology, the Archaeology Department is all set to take up excavations at more sites of historical importance in the State this year.

In a significant move, the department would resume excavations at Pattaraiperumpudur in Thiruvallur district, where archaeological vestiges right from prehistoric to the early historic period were found a few years ago.

“The Central Advisory Board for Archaeology (CABA) has granted permission for excavations at eight sites, including the Keezhadi cluster, Gangaikondacholapuram, Vembakottai and Thulukarpatti, where they are on going. We will be resuming excavations at Pattaraiperumpudur in Thiruvallur district and launching them at Porpanaikottai, Bhoothinatham and Kilnamandi this year,” Thangam Thennarasu, Minister for Industries, Tamil Official Language, Tamil Culture and Archaeology, told The Hindu on Saturday.

The department had taken up excavation at Pattaraiperumpudur in 2016. “The excavation at the site gains importance as we have found vestiges right from the Palaeolithic period here. We want to ensure continuity and do not want to do it piece meal. We want to explore and examine the chain of history,” said Mr.Thennarasu.

The Archaeology Department will launch excavation at Porpanaikotttai, believed to be a Sangam Age site where some suggest a fort had existed. In 2021, the Tamil Nadu Open University had taken up work at the site on a small scale. “There were demands for taking up full-fledged excavations at the site. So we decided to take it up this year and sought permission. We hope to find more evidence of the Sangam age structures,” Mr.Thennarasu said. The department will also be taking up the work at Bhoothinatham in Dharmapuri district, a Neolithic period site and Kilnamandi in Tiruvannamalai, a Megalithic site.

The excavations will start by March and funds have already been earmarked for the purpose. “There is no dearth of funds as the Chief Minister M.K.Stalin is keen on the explorations. He directly monitors the progress and encourages us as we keep him apprised regularly,” Mr. Thennarasu said.

The Minister also disclosed that a site for establishing a full-fledged museum has been identified at Gangaikondachalapuram, the ancient capital of the Cholas in Tamil Nadu, where the department resumed excavation in 2021. The museum will showcase medieval history.