The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Wednesday ordered notice to the Centre and the State on a public interest litigation petition that sought a direction to conduct archaeological excavation in Ulaipatti near Usilampatti in Madurai district after ancient artefacts were unearthed in the village.
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A Division Bench of Justices M. Sathyanarayanan and P. Rajamanickam ordered notice on the petition filed by advocate G. Thirumurugan. The petitioner said an ancient iron smelting furnace and various burial urns, along with ancient artefacts, were unearthed in Ulaipatti.
A proper and systematic excavation could yield a good result in unravelling the history of the land. Such excavations at various sites by archaeological departments had raised the curtains on the past, the petitioner said.