While efforts are on to revive the river, 54 students of the Diploma in Epigraphy in PSG College of Arts and Science have managed to gather hundreds of artefacts and treasures.
“Reviving the river would help in reviving a civilisation which existed on the banks of the river centuries ago,” associate professor in the department of Tamil and the course in-charge S. Ravi who heads the team said.
Their team first visited the river in October and have been conducting the study in various phases. “We came across word of mouth mythological reference about the river in literature that is about 500 years old. We started collecting artefacts on the course of the river and we realised that it was not just a river which once facilitated irrigation, but had earthen and stone jewellery making units as well,” he said.
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Stone and mud play items, iron articles, precious stones like agate, stone jewels, dress making and agriculture materials were excavated at Sambalmedu village near Kovilpalayam. Baked smoking pipes, mud pots with holes they preserved fruits and vegetables were collected from Salaiyur hinting that people could have lived there a couple of centuries BC.
So far, the team has completed three phases of study and collected various articles. They have also published a volume on their findings. They are working on publishing the findings in the second and third phase.