The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has recovered in September 2022 nearly 12,000-year-old artefacts in excavations in the outskirts of Chennai city. This discovery is considered as a crucial chapter in bridging the gap in Tamil history. For the ASI officials, the discovery is significant as they have discovered some Sangam age artefacts from Natham Medu, near Vadakkupattu village, 40 km northwest of Chennai city. More importantly, the artefacts are from at least four civilisations, separated by hundreds of years from the same excavation sites. In some cases, these artefacts were separated by even thousands of years. The team of archaeology found the Mesolithic stone tools, and more of Sangam era artefacts, in pits that were dug about 100m away from the place.
Interestingly, these artefacts were found just 75 centimetres below the surface and were surrounded by hundreds of other stone fragments. In that area, a 10 metre by 10 metre pit had artefacts belonging to the Sangam era. The small size and sharpness of the tools, which the ancient people made by removing flakes from stones, indicate that the settlement was of the Mesolithic period. (Mesolithic period existed between the Palaeolithic and Neolithic periods and is also known as the middle stone age period. While hunting and gathering predominated during the Palaeolithic, the advent of agriculture, during the Mesolithic period, led to the formation of permanent settlements.)
Note: The exact age of these artefacts will be known after their carbon dating.
Some Major Findings
Some of the major findings are as follows:
- The ASI team found hand axes, scrapers, cleavers, and choppers as old as 12,000 years.
- From the same site, they also recovered rouletted ware (a dish with thick incurved rim, contiguous body and base, and without any foot and has a smooth lustrous surface) of the Sangam era, which was about 2,000 years ago.
- There were Roman amphora shreds (a type of container with a pointed bottom, and characteristic shape and size used by Romans) and glass beads. This indicate that the natives in that area had active trade with Rome, several years ago. The archaeologists also found gold ornaments, beads, broken bangles, pot sherds, coins, and terracotta toys.
- The Pallava-era sculptures of Vishnu and Shivalinga, ranging from the early Pallava era (275 CE) to the late Pallavas (897 CE), were also discovered from the surrounding area on the surface which suggest the existence of a temple in the medieval period. The Pallava-era sculptures were made of sand stones which have been eroded by time.
- In the same site, the researchers also found handmade roof tiles belonging to the Sangam era.
Medu had originally been discovered in 1922. There are around 200 potential sites in Tamil Nadu that have been used by students and universities for their small-scale excavations. In September 2019, in one of the major archaeological findings from Keeladi, near Madurai, an urban settlement of the Sangam age was discovered on the banks of the River Vaigai.
Significance of the Discovery
This discovery pushed the history of literacy in South India at least 2,600 years ago, which had reduced the gap between the Sangam era and the Indus Valley Civilisation (1,500 BC).
Another evidence at Mayiladumparai and Keeladi, near Madurai had established that the origins of the Tamil Brahmi script was as old as 600 BCE, rather than around 300 BCE (as previously recorded). This critical discovery had also narrowed down the gap between the Indus Valley Civilisation and South India’s Sangam Age.
Once radiocarbon dating and scientific analysis are done, more gaps would be bridged with regards to Natham Medu findings as well, citing Keeladi model roof tiles that they have found in the two-month excavation.
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