Steps will be taken by the Tamil Nadu government to establish a world class archaeological museum in Thoothukudi, said Tamil Official Language and Tamil Culture and Archaeology Minister Thangam Thennarasu here on Sunday.
He was inspecting the ongoing excavation at Sivagalai, accompanied by MP Kanimozhi, Ministers Geetha Jeevan and Anitha Radhakrishnan, Field Directors Prabhakar and Thangadurai and District Collector K. Senthil Raj.
Speaking to reporters, he said that the excavation at Sivagalai, when completed, would hold a key chapter in the Indian history. According to experts and epigraphists, the findings showed the culture and tradition of the people, who had lived here back then. The artefacts, so far, collected from here may be exciting for research fellows and the academic world apart from tourists .
The government, Mr Thennarasi said, would take measures to preserve the artefacts and showcase them in a museum. Like Keeladi, he endorsed that Sivagalai too had many interesting facts, like pottery, antiquities and a few rare Tamil Brahmi inscriptions, copper coins and swords et al.
In-depth study and scientific examination of some of the skeletons unearthed from here would be conducted by the authorities in the Madurai Kamaraj University, which would throw more light on the accurate age of Sivagalai, he said and added that places including Sekkalai, Avarankadu, Parakramapandi Thiradu and Vellai Thiradu would be declared as preserved zones.
Chamber delegation
The Thoothukudi Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry secretary D. R. Kodeeswaran in a memorandum submitted to the Minister urged for establishing a museum near Palayakayal and showcase the artefacts that were excavated from Korkai, Agaram, Sivagalai, Adichanallur and Vasavapuram.
The artefacts collected from Korkai in 1968 were stored at a museum in Korkai village and subsequently shifted to Madurai and Chennai in late 1990s. These rare collections should be brought back here, the memorandum said.
