The first season of excavations carried out by the Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology (TNSDA) at Thirumalapuram in Tenkasi district has brought to light the presence of Iron Age culture close to the Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu. Early findings indicate that this site could date back to the early to mid-third millennium BCE. This exciting discovery enhances our understanding of prehistoric cultures in Tamil Nadu, placing it alongside other ancient sites like Adichanallur and Sivagalai.
The burial site covers roughly 35 acres and is located about 10 kilometers northwest of the present-day Thirumalapuram village. It sits between two seasonal streams that flow from the Western Ghats near the Kulasegarapereri tank. This prime location likely played a significant role in shaping settlement and burial customs during the Iron Age.
During the first season of excavations started last year, TNSDA archaeologists dug 37 trenches and unearthed several artefacts, including a rectangular stone slab chamber with urn burials and urns, a first-of-its-kind discovery in Tamil Nadu. The chamber, made of 35 stone slabs, was filled with cobblestones up to a depth of 1.5 metres. The team also unearthed a variety of ceramics both in the graves and as grave goods, including white-painted black-and-red ware, red ware, red-slipped ware, black-polished ware, and coarse red ware.
One of the standout features of the site is the white-painted designs found on black-and-red ware, black ware, and black-slipped ware. Such decorative styles have been previously observed at sites like T. Kallupatti, Adichanallur, and Korkai. The symbols on the urns are particularly intriguing. One red-slipped pot showcased dotted designs that seem to represent a human figure, a mountain, a deer, and a tortoise. These motifs could offer crucial insights into the beliefs and environment of that era.
The excavation uncovered a total of 78 fascinating antiquities crafted from materials like bone, gold, bronze, and iron. Among the items found were tweezers, swords, spearheads, gold rings, axes, daggers, chisels, bone heads, and arrowheads. Notably, three tiny gold rings were nestled inside an urn at a shallow depth of just 0.49 meters. Each ring was a mere 4.8 millimeters in diameter and weighed less than a milligram, showcasing some impressive craftsmanship.
Based on the unearthed materials, archaeologists believe this site dates to Iron Age. Official sources said the dating remains tentative as studies are still under way. Comparisons with sites such as Sivagalai and Adichanallur, dated between 3,345 BCE and 2,513 BCE respectively, suggest that Thirumalapuram could be placed in the early to mid-third millennium BCE.
