Adichanallur Archaeological Site
Adichanallur Archaeological Site
Name of Archaeological Site: Adichanallur
Village: Adichanallur
Taluk: Srivaikuntam
District: Thoothukudi (Tuticorin)
Period: Megalithic / Iron Age
Excavation Periods: AD 1876 and AD 2004
Excavated Artifacts: Burial urns, human skeletal remains, Black-and-Red Ware pottery sherds, appliqué figures on pottery, gold forehead ornaments, iron objects such as knives and swords, and bronze artifacts.
Excavating Organization/Person: Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)
Description
At this site, burial urns have been found buried in three distinct layers. However, the associated habitation settlement connected with this cemetery has not yet been identified.
Thousands of burial urns have been discovered here. Most of them are red in color, while some are Black-and-Red Ware urns. One urn was initially thought to contain Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions, and reports to this effect appeared in newspapers. However, these markings are now generally not considered to be Brahmi script.
Human skeletal remains have been unearthed at the site. However, not all urns contain substantial quantities of human bones. This suggests that the bodies of the deceased may have undergone certain funerary rituals before burial, with either all or only selected bones being placed inside the urns.
Black-and-Red Ware, red ware, and black ware pottery have been recovered from the site. One pottery vessel bears appliqué figures depicting a woman, paddy stalks, a deer, and a lizard.
Gold forehead ornaments, iron implements such as knives and swords, and various bronze objects have also been discovered.
Based on Thermoluminescence (TL) dating, the site is believed to date from approximately 1500 BCE to 500 CE. In other words, the remains are estimated to be between 1,500 and 3,000 years old.
Photograph Taken By: Archaeological Survey of India
Photograph Provided By: Archaeological Survey of India
Summary
Adichanallur is an important Iron Age and Early Historic (Megalithic) archaeological site. Iron Age communities practiced urn burial, placing the remains of the deceased in large funerary urns. Thousands of such burial urns have been found at Adichanallur.
It is the largest Megalithic site in Tamil Nadu, covering approximately 116 acres. Adichanallur is located on the banks of the Tamiraparani River in Thoothukudi District. It lies about 24 kilometers from Tirunelveli on the road leading to Srivaikuntam.
Excavations at the site have yielded numerous significant archaeological finds dating to the Iron Age.
The German scholar Jagor conducted excavations here in 1876. Later, Alexander Rea carried out further excavations and discovered many artifacts, which are now displayed in the Chennai Museum.
In 2004, excavations were conducted by Sathyamurthy of the Archaeological Survey of India. During this excavation, more than 150 burial urns were unearthed and studied.
Evidence suggests that the site served as a burial ground for many centuries.
Author: Aragalur Venkatesan Pon
Translation by Hari
0 Comments