The excavation carried on at Chettimedu on the banks of Palaru basin in February 2024 by the Department of Archaeology, University of Madras

The excavation carried on at Chettimedu on the banks of Palaru basin in February 2024 by the Department of Archaeology, University of Madras

The located site is near a Church….

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Archaeology, excavation and findings in Tamilnadu: Archaeology, excavation, artefacts, dating of objects, Keeladi and such other words and expressions become “buzz words” in Tamilnadu[1], as politicians to ordinary people talk about at least once in a week or so. Some news would be coming in the media about something about all these things. Enthusiast explorers and others always come out with some stories that they “discovered” so-and-as sculpture, broken or abandoned idol here at some remote place and so on. However, they never bothered to investigate why they have been there in such conditions for many years. Ironically, many times, they are already known to local people, who are periodically visiting those places and villages and onlookers. In fact, 10 years back, already such “discovered” news would have been published in some local newspaper. Yet, such news is catchy and hence they are published again generously. If one has some friend in any media house, such news would appear immediately.

You-tube archaeology, history etc: To what extent, this news and coverages would create an impact on the general public, academicians and others have to be noted. Nowadays, You-tube hs also become famous and hence, such videos immediately swarm the cyberspace wying with each other and uploading exaggerated and hence misleading stuff also. Ironically, the you-tube enthusiast archaeologists do not bother about the science and technological facts, but, mix everything and make sensational stories. About the Chettimedu excavation, already, sensational videos have come up and attracting the viewers. Cyber plagiarism has been so easy, immediate and attractive, even the original creator, author and writer would be bombarded with such pirated and plagiarized stuff. The You-tube stuff would be of such nature that even academic snobbery would be afraid of. After Keeladi, some sort of cold war appeared to have between the Central and State archaeological departments.

About CABA: Recently, the Government reconstituted the Central Advisory Board Archaeology (CABA) over seven years since its last meeting. It is meant to strengthen contacts between the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and those in the field of archaeological research. The ASI re-constituted the board with the Culture Minister as the chairperson and including officials from the Culture Ministry and ASI, MPs, nominees of State governments, representatives of universities, scientists and experts on Indus Valley script among the members. It is revised for a period of three years. The board will meet once a year and its functions would include advising the Centre on “matters relating to archaeology” referred to by its members. It may also make suggestions on such matters for the consideration of the Government. It also set up a Standing Committee of the board to be chaired by the ASI D-G. It also allocates funds for each state related to the sites identified for excavation.

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University of Madras getting permission from the GOI: The GOI granted permission to carry out excavation at Chettimedu vide order dated 05-02-2024[2]. Based on this, the students and professors from the Department of Ancient History and Archaeology, University of Madras, proceeded to excavate at the sanctioned site.  As last year students could not get permission, they were debuted to different sites for getting excavation experience. This year, after getting permission, the students landed there with enthusiasm. Interestingly, a female student just delivering a baby landed there with the baby, taking a room to participate in the excavation. Her husband also accompanied and really, we have to appreciate the boldness of the girl to land there with her family to conduct an excavation. And there have been certain students with ill-health, yet they too joined the excavation.

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Excavation started yielding good results: As part of the excavation that began on February 5, four trenches (CTM 1, 2, 3 and 4) were laid to understand the cultural sequence of the site[3]. Among them, two have been completed and excavation at the other two is in the last stage[4]. Based on preliminary analysis, the material evidence and layers could be divided into five cultural periods:

1. First from the Neolithic period,
2. second from the Iron Age,
3. third from the Early Historic period,
4. fourth from the Early Medieval period, and
5. fifth from the Medieval period from when red ware dominated. A Ceylon Man-type coin from the Chola Period was collected from the last one.

They have unearthed an ancient burial site of a child with a pot beside it likely dating back to the Neolithic period, at Chettimedu Pathur in Chengalpattu. The professors involved in the excavation said it is rare to find burials dating back to the neolithic period, which is between 5000-1500 BCE, and added it would be sent for dating to various laboratories in India to ascertain its exact age.

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The location of Chettimedu: Chettimedu is situated about 14 kms northwest of Nerumbu, another site excavated by the Department of Archaeology, University of Madrasi 2022.

A still closer view also shows that the site is situated on the Palar basin, but, now surrounded by the houses.

As Palaru has dried up, the banks have been shrunk with urbanization and the number of houses have been increasing. However, the agricultural activities continue, as could be noted from the fields surrounding the houses. While the old temples are neglected or relegated to less importance, new temples have come up.

Now, ironically, the site has been located within the compound of a Church.

A closer view shows the site as follows

The aerial view shows the newly constructed church and the adjacent site chosen for excavation

University of Madras researchers have found a neolithic site with burial remains of a child at Chettimedu Pathur near Chengalpet, around 77km from Chennai, in what is being deemed a rare archaeological find[5]. Along with potsherds of burnished grey ware, a neolithic period characteristic, the researchers found rare Chola-era coins, potsherds of black slipped ware, black slipped ware with graffiti marks and bricks from the early historic period (Sangam era) and Iron age red slipped ware with designs in black[6].

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The site could be dated between 2500 BCE and 3500 BCE: The site, they say, could be between 2500 BCE and 3000 BCE[7]. “Only a few neolithic sites including Vellore, Dharmapuri, Salem have been reported so far. Even in those sites, burnished grey ware was not found. At this site, we found burnished grey ware with a burial which is very rare,” said Jinu Koshy, in-charge of excavation, department of ancient history and archaeology, University of Madras[8]. Burnishing involves polishing a pot using items with a hard smooth surface such as pebbles or leather for a shiny look. “Burnished ware has not been not found anywhere in the state except at Valasai in Vellore district,” he added.

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What are the objects recovered there: Initial exploration at Chettimedu Pathur showed hopscotch, bone tools and brickbats, different types of potsherds as well as burnished grey ware, burnished red ware, black and red ware, all-black ware, red slipped ware, red ware and coarse red ware. A few potsherds with graffiti marks were on the surface of the mound due to soil erosion and human activity[9]. “To understand the context of the cultural material at the site, we began excavating on Feb 5,” said J Soundararajan, associate professor, head-in-charge, department of ancient history and archaeology[10]. Four trenches were dug and preliminary analysis of the material evidence shows the layers could be from five different cultural periods. “Another important artefact is the red slipped ware having designs painted with black pigment and design resembling pottery types from the chalcolithic period, especially Malwa culture[11]. The painted type of potsherds found in Chettimedu Pathur could be from Iron Age,” he added[12].

About the skeletal remains: The skeletal remains found have become sensational and the media gave much publicity about it. Koshi said the child, whose remains have been found, could be between 9 years and 11 years of age as the mandibular deciduous first molar tooth hasn’t started to shed. The skeleton is in a north-south direction, with the head placed north and rest of the body oriented to south, the face turned towards west. “This practice has been followed since the protohistoric era and the pot near the skeleton is typical neolithic era pottery.” Researchers plan to date the site and extract DNA samples from skeleton or material in the pot.  

The study of skeletal remains important, before coming up with hypotheses and theories: The study of the human skeleton (osteology[13]) involves many scientific methods. It is said that paleaodemocratic method is there to date and analyze the skeletal remains[14]. Archaeologists have long used carbon-14 dating (also known as radiocarbon dating) to estimate the age of certain objects. Traditional radiocarbon dating is applied to organic remains between 500 and 50,000 years old and exploits the fact that trace amounts of radioactive carbon are found in the natural environment. Bones are one of the most common materials sent to accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) labs for radiocarbon dating. This is because the bones of animals or humans are often subjects of archaeological studies. A lot about the prehistoric era has been learned due to archaeological studies and radiocarbon dating of bones[15]. More in-depth information about old civilizations is also available due to radiocarbon dating results on bones. DNA method is also followed, but each method has limitations[16].

A reporter sitting by the side of the skeleton and explaining its age, date and all……..

Head and teeth of the skeleton.

teeth visible, closer view……

Lower jaw portion…..

while the study is not complete, the media has come out with sensational reports that the skeleton belongs to 5000 YBP period and so on! The You-tubers have been so exhilarating that they started circulating videos according to their own imagination. One such video claims that this excavation excels Keeladi and so on!

To what extent, the comparative dating can be applied and accepted?: Nowadays, archaeologists are trying to date the excavated by the comparative dating method. If the stratigraphical layers are not disturbed, then, artefacts that are found in successive undisturbed cultural layers can be dated relatively based on the principles of stratigraphy. The principle of cultural/archaeological stratification is fundamental and it plays a dominant role in archaeological investigations. The technique is borrowed from geology and applied in archaeology[17]. Sir Charles Lyell shaped the concept of stratigraphy in geology and published it in his outstanding book Principles of Geology by Sir Charles Lyell in 1830. There are certain basic laws and notions that are followed in identifying and studying stratigraphy. They are Laws of Superposition, Laws of Original Horizontality, Laws of Original Continuity and Laws of Faunal Succession. This concept was introduced in archaeology by the scholars like C.J.Thomsen, J.J.Worsaae, Kathleen M. Kenyon and Mortimer Wheeler.

K. V. Ramakrishna Rao

19-03-2024.

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The reporter at the site explaining the excavated brick!

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[1] A buzzword is a word or phrase, new or already existing, that becomes popular for a period of time. Buzzwords often derive from technical terms yet often have much of the original technical meaning removed through fashionable use, being simply used to impress others.

[2] GOI order for excavation, Digital Mapping of Ancient Sites, dated 05-02-2024

https://sansad.in/getFile/loksabhaquestions/annex/1715/AU456.pdf?source=pqals

[3] DtNext, In a first, Neolithic child burial site found in TN, DTNEXT Bureau|28 Feb 2024 7:00 AM  ( Updated:28 Feb 2024 7:01 AM.

[4] https://www.dtnext.in/news/tamilnadu/in-a-first-neolithic-child-burial-site-found-in-tn-770670

[5] Times of India, Madras univ researchers unearth neolithic site near Chengalpet, Ragu Raman / TNN / Updated: Feb 28, 2024, 09:37 IST,

[6] https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/madras-univ-researchers-unearth-neolithic-site-near-chengalpet/articleshow/108059076.cms

[7] Indian Express, Tamil Nadu: Child burial site dating back to neolithic age unearthed in Chengalpattu, Updated on: 28 Feb 2024, 7:29 am

[8] https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2024/Feb/28/tamil-nadu-child-burial-site-dating-back-to-neolithic-age-unearthed-in-chengalpattu

[9] The Daily Guardiam, Neolithic child burial site discovered in TN, By: Latha Srinivasan, Updated on: February 29, 2024, 4:55 am IST.

[10] https://thedailyguardian.com/neolithic-child-burial-site-discovered-in-tn/

[11] BNN Breaking, Revolutionary Neolithic Child Burial Site Unearthed in Tamil Nadu: A First in State History, Hadeel Hashem, 27 Feb 2024 20:46 EST.

[12] https://bnnbreaking.com/world/asia/revolutionary-neolithic-child-burial-site-unearthed-in-tamil-nadu-a-first-in-state-history

[13] A subdiscipline of anatomy, anthropology, and paleontology, osteology is the detailed study of the structure of bones, skeletal elements, teeth, microbone morphology, function, disease, pathology, the process of ossification (from cartilaginous molds), and the resistance and hardness of bones (biophysics). Osteologists frequently work in the public and private sector as consultants for museums, scientists for research laboratories, scientists for medical investigations and/or for companies producing osteological reproductions in an academic context.

[14] Boldsen, Jesper L., George R. Milner, and Stephen D. Ousley. “Paleodemography: From archaeology and skeletal age estimation to life in the past.” American Journal of Biological Anthropology 178 (2022): pp.115-150.

[15] Radio carbon Dating bones, https://www.radiocarbon.com/ams-dating-bones.htm

[16] Mays, Simon. The archaeology of human bones. Routledge, 2021. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315171821

[17] K. Rajan, Relative dating methods, e-Patashala, https://epgp.inflibnet.ac.in/epgpdata/uploads/epgp_content/S000829IC/P001688/M020081/ET/1493287698P07-M17-RelativeDatingMethods-ET.pdf

Note here, the reporter mentions that “it is believed to be from 5000 B.C….. “, that is 7000 YBP!

Proceedings of the symposium on ‘Art and Culture of Tamil Nadu Reflected Through Excavations’ – held Meenakshi college, on august 29th and 30th 2019 [2]

Proceedings of the symposium on ‘Art and Culture of Tamil Nadu Reflected Through Excavations’ – held Meenakshi college,  on august 29^th and 30^th 2019 [2]

Dr R. Sivanantham, Deputy Director, TN State Dept of Archaeology, Egmore, Chennai: He led the fourth phase of Kizhadi excavations and now continue with the fifth phase. The first three phases had been conducted by the Archaeological Survey of India, and the fourth and now fifth by the state department. A total of 13,638 artifacts had been unearthed during the first four phases. The excavations that took place in 2014 – 2015, 2016-2016 and 2016-2017 found 7,818 things used by the people of the ancient era, while the fourth phase — between 2017 and 2018 — brought out 5,820 ancient things. About his inviting P. J. Cherian, some controversy was there, because, the Patnam excavations were criticized for the secretive and highly private way of working methodology.

Ms T. Sreelaksmi, Superintendent Archaeologist, ASI, Excavation branch -6, Bengalore – Gottiporlu excavation: She claimed that the site was already excavated, and her group went there to review the condition. The discovery of a 40-acre walled enclosure with artifacts at Gottiprolu near Naidupeta in Nellore district has come as a source of major encouragement for archaeologists and historians, who believe the area was a major maritime trade point in ancient days[1]. The recent findings would help corroborate theories pointing to a historic maritime past. Prominent among the findings are goblet-shaped vessels and conical jars which are worth mentioning as they are supposed to have been used by the elite[2]. These were not used for cooking but were used to consume wine,” surmised Dr. Sreelakshmi, Superintending Archaeologist, Archaeological Survey of India, Excavation Branch VI, Bengaluru. Dr. Sreelakshmi, a student of Prof. K.P. Rao, Department of History, University of Hyderabad (Central University), along with her team, made these discoveries while she was re-visiting the findings of Prof. Rao made during the early 1990s along the Swarnamukhi river[3].

Prof. Rao made his first findings made when he was associated with S.V. University in 1993. “This probably indicates that it is a regional capital which is significant in terms of defence, maritime and economic activity. This place seems to have been culturally significant. We can say that the place must have played a vital role around the 1st and 2nd Century AD. This can be termed as a unique site in terms of archaeological evidence in South India,” he said[4]. The site, with 45 settlements, provides evidence to the theories proposed by experts at Arikamedu, Pondicherry, Sisupalgarh in Odisha and Kaveripatnam in Tamil Nadu where some artifacts related to maritime trade were found. However, Gottiprolu is a much bigger site and proves several literary and historical observations made by noted historians. In fact, this is the first such excavation by the Bengaluru excavation branch in AP. Established in 2001, it carried out excavations at Kurugodu (Karnataka), Keeladi, Kodumanal (Tamil Nadu) where Neolithic settlements and elaborate structural remains of Sangam period were found.

 

Roman connection: A conical jar placed at the eastern side of the structure is an important find as such jars are widely distributed in Tamil Nadu and are considered to be an imitation of Roman Amphorae jars. A series of broken terracotta pipes fitted into one another found near this structure shed light on the civic amenities maintained by the occupants of this site. The most outstanding discovery so far made at the site is a massive brick structure that rises to a height of nearly 2 m and about 3.40 m in width. The site of Gottiprolu lies on the right bank of a distributary of the Swarnamukhi, 17 km east of Naidupet and 80 km away from Tirupati and Nellore. The archaeological mound is known as ‘Kota Dibba’ (fortified mound).</p>

Dr R. Pongundran, Archaeological officer (Retd), State Archaeology Dept, Egmore, Cennai: He tried to interpret that Velirs could be living in Kizhadi area, as one potsherd reportedly contains the name “oliyan.” He argued that “Oli” and “Veli” are one and the same. He was attempting to argue that the Velirs were part of the ancient Tamizhagam and they never migrated from the north to south. Even, he did not accept the references that the Velirs case down to south, when their forefathers of 49^th generation was living at the place of “Tuvarai” viz., Dwaraka.  I had discussion with him about the Velirs and connected issues. He argued only with literary evidences, that too, with his forced conclusions. His attempt of equating words found here and there and other comparisons have no logic. His weakness is exposed in his in interpretation of “Veladhan” and “Velaparppan.” Most of his presentation was from his published books [5]in Tamil about “Valirs.”

 

Sanganakallu – Dr Ravi Korisettar, UGC Emeritus Fellow, Karnata University, Dharwad University: Nearly, he took two hours went on narrating about his excavation, but, all materials had already been published 10-15 years back. The later prehistoric settlement history of the mid- southern Deccan, south India, is well preserved in the archaeological sequence at the Sanganakallu-Kapgallu hill complex. The Neolithic to Megalithic remains are scattered between the Sannarachammagudda (Sanganakallu) and Hiregudda (Kapgallu) hills on the Bellary-Moka road, midway between the west bank of the Hagari River and Bellary town in Karnataka. The archaeological sites are referred to as Sanganakallu Neolithic after the largest village in the neighbourhood of the hill complex. The patterns in stone tool technology among Mesolithic, Neolithic and Iron Age localities in the Sanganakallu–Kupgal site complex, Bellary District, Karnataka, South India were studied[6].

Statistical tests are used to compare proportions of raw materials and artefact types, and to compare central tendencies in metric variables taken on flakes and tools. Lithic-related findings support the inference of at least two distinct technological and economic groups at Sanganakallu–Kupgal, a microlith-focused foraging society on the one hand, and on the other, an agricultural society whose lithic technologies centred upon the production of pressure bladelets and dolerite edge-ground axes. Evidence for continuity in lithic technological processes through time may reflect indigenous processes of development, and a degree of continuity from the Mesolithic through to the Neolithic period. Lithic production appears to have become a specialised and spatially segregated activity by the terminal Neolithic and early Iron Age, supporting suggestions for the emergence of an increasingly complex economy and political hierarchy.

Sanganakallu-Kupgal area – stone-axe factory: A 10-30m wide dolerite dyke on the northernmost of the complex of granite hills in the Sanganakallu-Kupgal area became one of the main sources of raw material for the production of stone axes in southern India during the late prehistoric period[7]. At least three large hill settlements (several hectares each) were established in the hill complex, and one of them appears to have gradually developed into a large-scale production centre. Quarrying and axe flaking started around 1900 cal BCE, during the so-called Ashmound phase of occupation, and reached its maximum development between 1400- 1200 cal BCE, when a large region of the south Deccan plateau might have been supplied with finished and half-finished products from Sanganakallu. Systematic archaeological excavation and survey carried out since 1997 in the Sanganakallu-Kupgal area, including the dyke quarry itself, has yielded tens of thousands of production flakes, blanks and macro-lithic tools related to the flaking, pecking and polishing of the axes. The ongoing study of these materials permits us to gain insight into the organisation of production in this area from a temporal and spatial perspective. In view of the social and economic transformations taking place in the Deccan plateau during the second half of the second millennium BC, some key questions concern the relationship between intensification of production and the social division of labour between different working areas and settlements.

© K. V. Ramakrishna Rao

01-09-2019

[1] The Hindu, ASI unearths new evidence of Nellore’s maritime history, Appaji Reddem VIJAYAWADA, MAY 11, 2019 07:39 IST’ UPDATED: MAY 11, 2019 07:39 IST

[2] https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/asi-unearths-new-evidence-of-nellores-maritime-history/article27101219.ece

[3] Deccan Chronicle,

[4] https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/190519/historical-findings-hold-key-to-the-future-asi.html

[5] “Tolkudi Velir Vendar” = The Ancient Kings belong to Velir class and “Tolkudi-Velir-Politics (Sengam Nadukals-oru aayvu)” = The Ancient Tribes Velir – Sengam Hero stones, a Study, have been his books published in Tamil.

[6] Shipton, Ceri, et al. Lithic technology and social transformations in the South Indian Neolithic: The evidence from Sanganakallu–Kupgal. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 31.2 (2012): pp.156-173.

[7] Risch, Roberto, et al. The prehistoric axe factory at Sanganakallu-Kupgal (Bellary district), southern India. Stone axe studies III. Oxbow Books, 2011.