Besides pressing the Union Government to allow excavation at 114 acres in the Aditchanallur archaeological site under its control, the Centre will also be asked to establish a museum of international standard, as announced in the Union Budget, for displaying the artefacts recovered from the site, Madurai MP Su. Venkatesan has said.
Visiting the Aditchanallur archaeological site along with Thoothukudi MP Kanimozhi and Tiruchendur MLA Anita R. Radhakrishnan on Tuesday evening, Mr. Venkatesan said the artefacts retrieved during the excavation, being carried out by the State Government’s wing, showcased Tamil civilization and its ancientness. The excavation so far conducted in the peripheral areas had led to the recovery of interesting artefacts.
However, the Union Government was not taking due steps to carry out excavation in the entire extent of 114 acres of land acquired even though it was under its control for the past several years. If this area, apparently the core area where the ancient Tamils lived, acquired for the purpose of excavation was properly used, it would unequivocally prove the ancient Tamils’ civilised life even before several thousands of years.
“Above all, we, the MPs from Tamil Nadu will exert pressure on the Centre to release the report submitted to the Central Government in 2004 on the archaeological activities so far carried out at Aditchanallur. If it is released, it will prove categorically that Tamil’ civilization is the most ancient one,” Mr. Venkatesan said.
When the State Government’s Department of Archaeology started excavation activities in Aditchanallur and Sivakalai on May 25, they have recovered burial urns containing a range of products and paddy, terracotta hookah, bangles etc. As the excavation was extended to the areas closer to the hillock, the excavators found the remnants of an ancient village close to the Tamirabharani watercourse.
