A team of archaeologists and historians from here has discovered a large collection of archaeological materials belonging to the Sangam period, particularly from 2 BC, from three hamlets in Udumalpet taluk.
The materials unearthed by the team headed by S. Ravikumar, an archaeologist-cum-engineer from Virarajendran Archaeological and Historical Research Centre, included a terracotta seal carrying an emblem of bow and arrow used by Chera kings, terracotta lamps, terracotta stands, bobbins, 30 precious stones, cowries and a few other valuables.
“The emblems with bow and arrow, as found in the seal unearthed, have found mention already in the Sangam literature,” Mr. Ravikumar told The Hindu .
According to the team members, the other materials traced were used by the elite class of people who lived during the Chera period.
“Actually, the three hamlets from where we found the materials like seal, bobbins, lamps and stones fall in the tract of Chera kingdom which extends from one of its capital towns called ‘Pattinam’, a village now located in Ernakulam district of Kerala, up to Karur, the inland capital of the said kingdom,” they said.
A study of the materials further revealed that the cowries were used by the people for playing games, whereas the bobbins were used to wind yarn, leading to the conclusion that weaving units existed in the area, Mr. Ravikumar explained.
An interesting aspect was that identical models of terracotta stands unearthed from here were also recorded by historians in Mohenjo-daro archaeological site in Pakistan, team members added.
