Keeladi Findings [UPSC Notes]

The Keeladi excavations in 2015 proved that an urban civilisation existed in Tamil Nadu in the Sangam age. Keeladi is a small hamlet in south Tamil Nadu, about 12 km southeast of the temple city of Madurai. It is located along the Vaigai river. What are the latest updates about the Keeladi findings? What are its implications for the antiquity of the ancient Tamil civilisation? Know more about the Keeladi excavation findings in this article for the UPSC exam.

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Keeladi Excavation Findings

• After eight rounds of excavation, which included three by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), more than 18,000 artefacts have been discovered at the site. These unique artefacts will soon be exhibited in a museum.
• The discovery of large quantities of pottery implies the existence of a pottery-making industry, primarily using locally available raw materials. Over 120 potsherds inscribed with Tamil Brahmi have also been found, indicating the survival of the script over a long period. 
• Other artefacts found at Keeladi, along with those from other Tamil Nadu sites, suggest the presence of a weaving industry at different stages, including spindle whorls, copper needles, terracotta seals, hanging stones, terracotta spheres, and earthen vessels.
• The people of Keeladi had a culturally rich and prosperous lifestyle, as evidenced by the discovery of gold ornaments, copper articles, semi-precious stones, shell bangles, ivory bangles, and ivory combs. The excavation also revealed an industry of dyeing and glass bead making.
• Additionally, the discovery of agate and carnelian beads suggests that the people of Keeladi were involved in commercial networks, while terracotta and ivory dice, gamesmen, and hopscotch evidence reveals their leisure activities.

Keeladi Links to the Indus Valley Civilisation

The excavation of artefacts from the Keeladi site in Tamil Nadu has led academics to describe it as part of the Vaigai Valley Civilisation. 

• The findings have invited comparisons with the Indus Valley Civilisation, but the cultural gap between the two places is 1,000 years.
• The excavations have also found potsherds with symbols that bear a close resemblance to Indus Valley signs, though further study is required to establish any links between the two civilisations.
• Until now, the gap was filled with Iron Age material in south India, which served as residual links. However, some of the symbols found in pot sherds of Keeladi bear a close resemblance to Indus Valley signs. 
• The Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology (TNSDA) has argued that the Keeladi excavation site exhibits all the characteristics of an urban civilisation, including proof of internal and external trade, luxury items and brick structures. 
• The excavations have revealed evidence of urban life and settlements in Tamil Nadu during the Early Historic Period, which have added to the credibility of Sangam Literature. 

How Keeladi’s artefacts push the Sangam Age further back:

• The Sangam Age, a period of history in ancient Tamil Nadu, was previously believed to be from the third century BCE to the third century CE. The name of the place is believed to be derived from the Sangam poets of Madurai from the same period. 
• However, the Sangam age has been pushed back further due to recent excavations conducted by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the Tamil Nadu State Archaeology Department (TNSDA). 
• According to a TNSDA report from 2019, the artefacts found in Keeladi are dated between the sixth century BCE and the first century BCE. One of the six samples collected at a depth of 353 cm was carbon-dated in the US, and the result showed a date of 580 BCE. 
• These findings indicate that the Keeladi artefacts are about 300 years older than previously thought, which challenges the existing beliefs that the site dates back to the third century BCE. 
• Furthermore, a recent ASI report by K. Amarnath Ramakrishna, the Superintendent Archaeologist who discovered Keeladi in 2015, suggests that the Sangam age could be pushed back to 800 BCE based on these archaeological findings. 
• Keeladi’s discovery could be crucial in understanding the missing links between the Iron Age (12th century BCE to the sixth century BCE), the Early Historic Period (sixth century BCE to the fourth century BCE) and the subsequent cultural developments.

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