Chennai, Sep 9 : With archaeological findings in Tamil Nadu dating back to 4th century BC, Chief Minister M.K.Stalin on Thursday said studies will be conducted in Egypt, South East Asian countries and some Indian states in search of the ancient Tamil civilisation.
He said the government’s aim is that the history of the Indian subcontinent should be written from Tamil Nadu will be established with proof.
Announcing this in the Assembly on Thursday, Stalin said carbon dating of the paddy found in a burial urn at a burial site at Sivakalai establishes that it belongs to 1155 BC which in turn means people had lived on the banks of the Thamirabarani river 3,200 years ago.
The paddy was sent to the Beta Analytical Laboratory in the US for carbon dating.
He said the findings of artefacts at the excavation sites proves that the civilisation existed prior to 4th century BC.
Stalin said a silver coin that was found at the Keezhadi excavation with sun, moon engravings belong to 4th century BC, that is prior to the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka’s period as per the opinion of numismatics expert Susmita Basu Majumbar of Calcutta University.
Archaeological excavations are being done at Kodumanal, Keeladi, Korkai, Mayiladumparai, Sivakalai, Adichchanallur and Gangaikonda Cholapuram in Tamil Nadu.
Stalin said as per the carbon dating of artefacts, the Keeladi civilisation dates back to 6th century BC proving that Tamilians were learned even then.
That Korkai was a port city in ancient times was an established fact through earlier excavations.Now broken black pot pieces of Gangetic plains have been found at Korkai.
Experts have concluded that Korkai might have served as one of the important ports even before the 8th century BC.
Officials said the Mayiladumparai excavation and its associated findings observed at Varatanapalli and Kappalavadi prove that the Neolithic people carried out agricultural activities 4000 years ago.
With Tamil Nadu trade links extending till Egypt and Oman in ancient times as per artefacts found in those countries and Chola Emperor Rajendra Chola conquering South East Asian countries like Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam archaeological studies will be conducted in those countries with necessary permissions.
Similarly archaeological studies will also be undertaken in other Indian states like Andhra Pradesh (Vengi area), Karnataka (Thalaikkadu), Kerala (Pattanam) and Palur in Odisha to understand the antiquity of Tamil civilisation.
Apart from excavations, exploration projects — Neolithic and Documentation of Rock Art — are in progress in Tamil Nadu.
The Tamil Nadu State Archaeology Department is re-establishing the cultural history of Tamil Nadu through scientific studies.
The Department is collaborating with Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, Lucknow and French Institute of Pondicherry to understand the palaeoclimate; a DNA analysis is being done in collaboration with Madurai Kamaraj University, Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences and Chicago University to understand the origin of Tamils; Metallurgical analysis is being done in association with National Institute of Advanced Studies to understand the iron, steel and high tin bronze technology; Ceramic analysis is being carried out with the help of Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam and Pune University.
The Tamil Nadu government has allocated Rs 5 crore in its budget for archaeological findings.
The government will also set up a museum at an outlay of Rs 15 crore at Tirunelveli showcasing the artefacts found during excavations at Adichchanallur, Korkai and Sivakalai
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