Last lap surprises at Keeladi

Two ring wells at Agaram, one at Keeladi mark the last lap of excavations

Unearthing of two new ring wells at Agaram and the completion of digging out a six-layered ring well at Keeladi main site are perhaps the last few surprises of the season as the archaeology staff prepare to wind up the seventh phase of excavation by this month end. The large scale explorations in the cluster of sites, also including Manalur and Konthagai, 12 km southeast of Madurai, is being carried out by the Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology to establish the existence of an urban settlement on the banks of the Vaigai river more than 2,600 years ago. In this round, the excavation at Agaram over two acres has yielded the highest number of ring wells. Four were excavated between February and August and two new ones were unearthed over the weekend. “We are yet to trace it fully for the full dimensions, only the upper portion of ring wells have been exposed so far, “ one of the officers at the site told The HIndu.