Carnelian beads and husks found in urns in Keeladi cluster site

For the first time since excavations began there in 2020, archaeologists have found huge quantities of carnelian beads and husks from burial urns in Konthagai in the just-concluded third season, which could further help establish that it was here the inhabitants of Keeladi, the Sangam-era site near Madurai, were buried.

As many as 59 urns in different size and shape like red ware, red ware with black and red ware lid, red slipped ware, and black and red ware were unearthed by the Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology (TNSDA) in the 2021-2022 season concluded in September last year with 216 offering pots found inside them.

Significant finds from inside the urns are huge quantities of carnelian beads and nearly one kg of husk.

The carnelian beads, which are 79 in number, are similar to those found in the excavations in Keeladi providing yet another evidence to suggest that its inhabitants were buried in Konthagai, which is located around 800 metres from the habitation site.

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“The main motive of the third season of excavation in Konthagai was to find artefacts similar to those found in Keeladi to prove that the former is the latter’s burial site. And we found 79 carnelian beads from just one burial urn. They are similar to those found in Keeladi,” a source in the TNSDA told DH.

Going into details, the source said discovery of husk inside the burial urn is another significant development which will help the TNSDA establish the period of the burial site.

“We have been looking for husks since 2020 but this is the first time we found them, that too almost one kg. When we send this for dating, we are likely to make yet another progress as husks reveal the period of the site,” the source added.

It was paddy husks found in Sivakalai, another archaeological site on the banks of river Porunai in Thoothukudi district, that established its period to be 3,200 years old. Husks are usually found in the offering pots that are placed inside the urns while burying the dead.

The sources said 20 human samples found in the 59 urns unearthed this season have already been sent for ancient DNA analysis to be conducted at the new lab established at the Madurai Kamaraj University (MKU).

Archaeologists said they also found eight iron implements from burial urns of which five are sword, two chisel, and one axe during the third season of excavations in Konthagai.

The fourth round of excavations in Konthagai and ninth round in Keeladi will begin in the next few days.

The findings are significant as they have been made public close on the heels of the ASI deriving Keeladi’s period to be between 300 BCE to 800 CE in its report submitted by K Amarnath Ramakrishna, who led the first two rounds of excavations.