MADURAI
A public interest litigation petition filed before the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Tuesday sought a direction to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to conduct an excavation and a scientific research at Sivagalai in Thoothukudi district.
The petitioner, S. Kamaraj, a former journalist, claimed that the site could be as old as Adichanallur. He had written an account of Adichanallur excavations in Tamil. He said it was during his research for the work that he came across a history teacher, Manickam, who explained to him the significance of Sivagalai site.
He claimed that during an inspection of the site, they discovered tools that seemed to belong to the mesolithic age, a period between the stone age and the new stone age. The tools were micro-sized, sharp and probably used to hunt wild animals, he said, adding a civilisation might have existed around the Tamirabarani.
A Division Bench of Justices N. Kirubakaran and S.S. Sundar ordered notice to the ASI and Archaeological department, and adjourned the case for further hearing.
