Excavation resumes at Keeladi

The sixth phase of archaeological excavation at Keeladi, which was stopped for a day following heavy rain on Thursday, resumed on Saturday.

An official from the State Archeological Department said that due to heavy rain on Thursday evening, the trenches at Keeladi cluster- comprising nearby villages of Konthagai, Agaram and Manalur became wet.

“We usually place a tarpaulin sheet above the trenches after completion of excavation work. This helps to ensure that rainwater was not stagnant in the trenches. So, it took a day for the soil to become dry so that the excavation work could resume,” he said.

Due to imposition of lockdown, excavation was stopped on March 23. After a gap of several weeks, it resumed on May 19.

Safety measures

Personal distancing was strictly enforced at the excavation site. As a precautionary measure, face masks and hand sanitisers were provided to all workers, the official added.