The State government will undertake archaeological excavations in three new places – Vembakkottai in Virudhunagar district, Thullukkarpatti in Tirunelveli district and Perumpalai in Dharmapuri district, Industries Minister Thangam Thennarasu (also handling the archaeology portfolio) announced in the Assembly on Saturday.
“We will continue to undertake archaeological excavations to discover evidences that reflect the ancient heritage of the Tamils,” Mr. Thennarasu said in the House, after he referred to some criticism questioning the need for such excavations. Though the Brahmi script on Ashoka Pillar was considered older than Tamil Brahmi once, the unearthing of Mangulam inscriptions changed the narrative, he pointed out.
The three new archaeological excavations would be undertaken in addition to the ones under way in Keeladi, Sivagalai, Mayiladumparai and Gangaikondacholapuram, he said.
The government would also undertake scientific site inspections to locate Neolithic sites and those along the banks of Tamiraparani during 2021-22.
Sites where ancient inscriptions are found in Mudhalaikulam and Arittapatti in Madurai district, Poolankurichi in Sivaganga district, Thondur and Theganurpatti in Villupuram district would be declared protected monuments, he said.
The Institute of Archaeology would be restructured and renamed Tamil Nadu Institute of Archaeology and Museology, which would introduce a two-year post graduate diploma programme in epigraphy, the Minister announced. The government would document over 90 cave paintings from sites across the State.
Steps would be taken to bring back ‘Leiden plates’ from the Netherlands which throw light on the history of legendary Tamil king Rajaraja Chola and also Buddhist viharas in Nagapattinam district, he said. Efforts would be taken to locate the ‘Anbil plates’ which is featured in Epigraphia Indica , the official publication of Archaeological Survey of India.
A theme park with displays, including an automated model of a dinosaur, would be set up at a cost of ₹10 crore in the fossil museum in Ariyalur, he said. The displays in the museum in Chennai and 23 district museums would be digitised to launch a virtual museum at a cost of ₹5 crore, the Minister said.
Mr. Thennarasu also said a science centre in Government Museum campus in Chennai to display developments in contemporary science would be set up through Kolkata-based National Council of Science Museum at ₹22.40 crore.
