Azhagankulam was in the big league

[Hindustani78]

Updated: June 30, 2015 03:14 IST
Excavation in the T.N.: Azhagankulam was in the big league - The Hindu

A Roman potsherd (left) and broken pieces of an amphora found during the excavation under way at Azhagankulam in Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu.


Renewed excavation in the T.N. village provides fresh evidence.
Renewed excavation from May at Azhagankulam village in Ramanathapuram district, Tamil Nadu, has thrown up fresh evidence that it was an important trading post between the Sangam Pandyas and the Romans from circa 50 BCE to circa 500 CE.

Archaeologists from the Tamil Nadu Department of Archaeology, who are taking part in the excavation, said Azhagankulam, Arikkamedu in Puducherry and Pattanam (Muziris) in Kerala formed a troika of trade centres between Rome and the Tamil country during the Tamil Sangam age.

Azhagankulam is about three km from the sea, near the area where the Vaigai river enters the sea.

The State Department of Archaeology had earlier excavated the site in 1986-87 and again for five seasons in the 1990s. Those excavations revealed the trade link between the ancient Tamil country and the Mediterranean region.

The excavation under way now at Azhagankulam has yielded broken Roman Amphora jars, Mediterranean pottery, embossed Roman potsherds, copper coins, Chinese Celadon ware, rouletted ware, potsherds with Tamil Brahmi letters, a potsherd with a swastika symbol and so on. Beads made of carnelian, quartz and glass were found.

Of the five trenches, four were laid in the Kottaimedu area. They yielded Roman amphorae (jars for storing wine), two copper coins, roofing tiles, black and red potsherds. A trench dug at Parithikaadu near the seashore yielded three corroded copper coins.

Archaeologist’s delight
Archaeologists emphasised that the Roman antiquities thrown up from the renewed excavation at Azhagankulam proved once again the trade contacts between the Pandya rulers and the Romans. Madurai was the capital of the Pandya country and Ramanathapuram came under the Madurai region. Roman gold coin hoards had been found at Utthamapuram, Nathampatti and Karivalamvandha Nallur.

“From circa 50 BCE, the Roman context occurs at Azhagankulam. The Pandyas had trade contacts with the Yavanas. The Romans bought pearls from the Pandya country. The contacts lasted till 500 CE,” said an archaeologist who had taken part in the earlier excavations at Azhagankulam.

Those excavations yielded three Roman coins. The legend on them showed that Roman emperors Valentine II (regnal years 383 CE to 395 CE) and Arcadius (regnal years 395 CE to 408 CE) issued them. Square copper Pandya coins were also found. The Mauryan context at Azhagankulam was revealed, with the occurrence of the northern black polished ware (elite tableware used by the wealthy) and punch-marked coins.

Azhagankulam, Arikkamedu and Korkai in the Tamiraparani basin on the east coast and Muziris on the west coast saw flourishing trade between the ancient Tamil country and the Romans, the archaeologist added.

 

[Star Wars]

@levina

 

[Levina]

@levina

I had read that Madurai was an important industrial center of ancient India, want to read more about it.

This is silk road map showing ancient trade routes.

 

[Hindustani78]

Azhagankulam is located about three km from the sea, near the area where the Vaigai River enters the Bay of Bengal. Madurai was the capital of the Pandya country and Ramanathapuram came under the Madurai region.

As part of the excavations under way since May 2015, Archaeologists from the Tamil Nadu Department of Archaeology discovered broken Roman Amphora jars (used for storing wine), Mediterranean pottery, embossed Roman potsherds, copper coins, Chinese Celadon ware, rouletted ware, potsherds with Tamil Brahmi letters, a potsherd with a swastika symbol among others.

Earlier in 1986-87 and again for five seasons in the 1990s excavations were made at the place that revealed that Azhagankulam was a part of the troika of trade centres between Rome and the Tamil country during the Tamil Sangam age. Other two were Arikkamedu (Puducherry) and Pattanam aka Muziris (Kerala).

As per historians, Azhagankulam, Arikkamedu and Korkai (Tamil Nadu) in the Tamiraparani basin on the east coast and Muziris on the west coast saw flourishing trade between the ancient Tamil country and the Romans for more than five centauries till circa 500 CE.

*******************

Piecing together the pastA heritage tour retraces the Roman Trail in parts of Kerala and Tamil NaduPHOTOS: H. VIBHU, K. ANANTHAN AND SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT


In search of Muziris - The Hindu

History INTACH Coiombatore takes Pankaja Srinivasan back 2000 years in search of the Romans

Arather unremarkable patch of land greets us at Pattanam. This is it? We are standing on an archaeological site. Recent excavations indicate this was part of an ancient port city, Muziris. “You have to use your imagination. There was a bustling Roman settlement here,” says S. Suresh. He is Tamil Nadu State Convener, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH). He is leading us on a two-day tour of 2,000-year-old Roman settlements. The heritage tour, organised by Kalaivani Chengappa (convener, Coimbatore chapter, INTACH), will retrace the footsteps of Roman traders from the time they landed at Muziris (in Ernakulam district) to Kodumanal (in Erode district) through Vellalore in Coimbatore, 2,000 years ago.

“Romans came here to trade in spices, especially pepper, as well as gemstones, textiles, ivory, sandalwood and iron and steel. In exchange, they brought with them wine, gold and silver,” says Suresh. He points to one side of the site where huge cement containers hold shards of pottery. “The bigger pieces that included almost intact amphora and pots have been taken away for safe keeping,” he explains. The excavations in Pattanam are being carried out by the Kerala Council for Historical Research.

It is believed that Pattanam is the erstwhile Muziris, a key port where the Roman traders first landed. The Periyar River once flowed into the sea here. But the river must have altered its course, says Suresh. “Along with Mediterranean pottery, glass beads, semi-precious stones and metal nails, they have unearthed an entire boat not too far from here.” Another reason to believe that Pattanam could very well be the vanished Muziris.

Our next stop is Azhicode, Kodungallur, where the Mar Thoma Pontifical Shrine stands overlooking the Periyar as it flows into the sea. St Thomas is said to have founded the church that today holds his relic — a bone from his arm. He is believed to have landed on the Malabar coast on one of the Roman vessels. We now follow in his footsteps and go to another small hamlet, Eeyal, where a banana farmer clearing his land discovered two small caves and a cache of Roman coins. People believe St. Thomas rested in these caves. This site is unique because it is one of the very few where both silver and gold coins have been excavated.

The biggest haul of Roman coins in this part of the world, says Suresh, was unearthed in Vellalore, in Coimbatore.

Ancient presence

Vellalore, Padaiyur, Pollachi, Kodumanal and Noyyal, all find mention in ancient Latin and Tamil records. And Vellalore is where the second day’s tour kicks off. We are gathered at Sri Chitra Gupthar Yama Dharmaraja Temple, because in the 19th Century, a huge haul of Roman coins was found right here. We then head to Padaiyur, where quantities of beryl were unearthed. They were mined there in the Roman days and then taken to Kodumanal, which is midway between Muziris on the Arabian Sea and Kaveripattinam on the Bay of Bengal. According to Suresh, this little village was once a large Roman settlement with workshops where iron ore brought from the nearby Chennimalai Hills was forged into weapons for the Romans. There is a story that one of Julius Caesar’s swords was made right here!

The Archeological Survey of India, Tamil University and the Central University of Pondicherry have carried out extensive excavations at Kodumanal. We are met by Ramchandran, a former math teacher and, currently, the Village Administrative Officer. He accompanies us on a stroll along the banks of the Noyyal. A nearby excavation site yields shards of patterned pottery. Ramachandran shows us a megalithic burial site on his land that has been left open for public viewing. Similar sites have yielded many treasures, including a gem-encrusted gold tiger, he tells us. But these are not Roman artefacts.

About 50 km away in Erode, at the Kalaimagal Kalvi Nilayam, is a museum that has plenty of Roman artefacts. During some building activity in the school, remains of Roman urns and coins were found there. The school has a beautiful museum displaying these and other findings from Erode and Gobichettipalayam districts. The remarkable museum is the last leg of our tour.

Kalaivani Chengappa and S. Suresh host a sumptuous dinner on the last day, and the Roman surprises continue. Suresh appears dressed as a Roman sailor and tells us that at least two of the dishes we will be eating that evening are Roman recipes. We are served a large white and pink cake with an olive wreath iced on it, and a fruit salad served with nuts and honey. That concludes our Roman holiday.

 

[Hindustani78]

The carvings of a sage worshipping the linga and a dancer are seen on the wall at the Kambarajapuram temple. (Right) The Siva temple in ruins. Photos : K. Sridaran

The Siva Temple in ruins at Kambarajapuram in Vellore district, Tamil Nadu. Photo : K. Sridharan

Updated: July 9, 2015 15:50 IST
Kambarajapuram temple in ruins, near Vellore - The Hindu
The inscriptions at the basement of the Kambarajapuram temple, if spruced up, may provide information on its history. T.S. Subramanian writes.
A small, beautiful temple in ruins, with novel architectural features and perhaps with many concealed inscriptions, has been found in a village called Kambarajapuram, about 20 km from Vellore town, in Tamil Nadu. Several of its architectural members have been dislodged and have fallen down. The basement of this Siva temple has sunk and is buried in sand. K. Sridaran, who retired as Deputy Superintending Archaeologist, Tamil Nadu Archaeology Department, located the temple. It is built of black granite and the villagers call it ‘black temple.’

A temple at a village called Tiruvallam, celebrated in Tamil hymns, is located in the Coromandel country, about 20 km from Vellore. There are more than 30 inscriptions in this temple. These lithic records belong to the Pallava rulers and their contemporaries such as the Ganga ruler Prithvipathi, the Banas, the Cholas and the Telugu Chodas. The inscriptions call the temple ‘Theekkalivallam.’

There is another village called Kambarajapuram, south of this Tiruvallam temple. One of the inscriptions in the Tiruvallam temple mentions the Ganga ruler, Vijayanandi Vikravarman. Sridaran surmised that the village could have been originally named ‘Gangarajapuram’ after the Ganga ruler but now people call it Kambarajapuram.

Broken sculptures of Dakshinamurthy and Nandi can be seen lying outside the temple. The sanctum is in ruins. The mantapam outside the sanctum has beautiful pillars topped with ‘taranga podhiga’ architecture (that is, resembling the sea waves).

The temple has small, beautiful carvings showing a sage offering worship, a dancing woman, a man playing a musical instrument and a devotee worshipping a linga. In the niches on the outer wall of the sanctum, there are sculptures of intricately designed ‘makara thoranas.’ Inside the makara thoranas are carvings, perhaps those of Indra or Agni, worshipping the linga. There are no sculptures in the niches. Nearby is a pilaster.

“A peculiar architectural feature here is that ‘makara thoranas’ are also found above the pilaster,” Sridaran said. There is an exquisite carving, inside the makara thorana, of a woman dancing and two men playing musical instruments.

Just outside the temple are found two fragmentary inscriptions of Vikrama Chola (regnal years 1118-1135 CE), mentioning the donations he made towards the temple maintenance. These inscriptions are documented in page 74 of the book titled ‘The Inscriptions of the Madras Presidency’ (volume I), authored by V. Rangacharya.

Sridaran said, “There are beautiful sculptures, carvings and inscriptions in this temple. But it is in complete ruins. Its architectural members are found scattered all around it. The temple basement is found buried in sand. If the sand is removed, more inscriptions may be exposed and may provide more information on the temple history. Either the Tamil Nadu Archaeology Department or the Archaeological Survey of India can do this.”

 

[Hindustani78]

It’s a rare discovery as the areas under the Pandya empire did not have many Buddha icons.

Buddha sculpture discovered - The Hindu
An unfinished Buddha statue, possibly from the 10th century, was found at Rosalpatty village in Andipatty taluk of Theni district by scholars from the Madurai-based Pandya Nadu Centre for Historical Research (PCHR).

C. Santhalingam, the centre’s secretary, said they received information from a student, M. Balamurugan, who gave them photographs of sculptures in the area.

“We expected the sculptures to be related to Jainism, which the district is well known for. But, we found that the sculpture in Naththathi Medu was that of a Buddha,” he said. It was extremely rare to find a Buddha sculpture in the southern districts which were a part of the Pandya empire.

“Other than Pandikovil in Madurai and two other places where Buddha sculptures were unearthed, there have been no other records or findings related to Buddha. Madurai and the surrounding areas predominantly have only Jain beds with sculptures and bas reliefs,” Mr. Santhalingam said.

The scholars who discovered the sculpture said that it was in an unfinished state, which meant that it could not have been worshipped by people. “The sculpture is seated with folded legs and the usnisha or tuft of hair has not been fully sculpted. A small piece of stone in the right cheek is also broken and the chisel marking of the image is not smooth,” he explained.

They were able to ascertain the possible period when the Buddha was sculpted to the 10th Century as the features and skill used in making the sculpture were similar to two other rare Buddha icons which were discovered in the southern districts of the State.

The team also found many stone figures of deities such as Muruga, Vinayaka in the area and architectural segments of a dilapidated Shiva temple which they believed was from the 12th or 13th century.

 

[Hindustani78]

Unearthed:Some of the stone articles discovered during scientific earth work being carried out at Swami Nellaiyappar Temple in Tirunelveli.— Photo: M. Lakshmi Arun
Ancient stone articles found at Nellaiyappar temple - The Hindu


Scientific earth work being carried out on temple premises
Centuries-old stone articles were discovered during the ‘scientific earth work’ done at Swamy Nellaiyappar Temple here on Monday.

As ‘kumbabhishekam’ of the 1,300-year-old Swamy Nellaiyappar- Gandhimathi Ambal Temple was performed last on April 7, 2004, it will have to be performed in 2016, after a gap of 12 years as mandated.

Hence, the scientific earth work is being carried out on the temple premises on an outlay of Rs. 1.40 crore as per the instructions of Murtheeswari, Deputy Superintendent of Archaeology, Chennai, who visited the temple on July 25.

Stone tank

After the earth work started on August 12 near ‘Vasantha Mandapam’ and ‘Naalvar Sannidhi’, a stone tank, ‘nandhi’, ‘yaazhi’, broken pieces of stone pillars and a stone grinder (‘santhanaathi’) have been discovered.

“Based on the instructions from archaeologists, further earthwork will be done,” said temple authorities.

 

[Hindustani78]

Centuries-old menhir found - The Hindu
A team of archaeologists has found a centuries old menhir at Singaripalayam near Kundadam in the district. It points to the existence of an ancient settlement along the banks of River Uppar.

The menhirs are upright monumental stones erected in prehistoric times in memory of local heroes.

The 300-cm-tall menhir is surrounded by cairns, which are a mound of rough stones placed as memorial in the ancient era.

“The menhir and the cairns clearly point to the evidence of an ancient settlement that existed in the area almost 2,300 years ago. These stones are identified from its shape and other parameters. Monumental stones that are erected prior to the said era, called dolmens, have slightly different shape,” explained S. Ravikumar, one of the archaeologists.

K. Ponnusamy, another team member, added that the purpose of erecting monumental/memorial stones such as menhir is mentioned in Sangam literature.

Interestingly, people who came later erected an enclosure around the menhir and it became a place of worship. “Some people are even now offering puja on occasions without knowing that it is a menhir with a rich historical importance,” said Mr. Ravikumar.

 

[Point_4590]

There are some evidence which suggests that Romans sends a military contingent to Muziris to safeguard their interests.

 

[Hindustani78]

An inscription, attributed to 14th century, found in Verayur near here is deciphered as a promulgation of tax waiver given to Kaikkolars, a weaving community.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...peaks-of-tax-breaks-found/article16773675.ece

S. Balamurugan, an archaeology aficionado, received information on this inscription from a Neethidoss, a teacher. Then he visited the spot and copied it.

Mr. Balamurugan told The Hindu that the transcription of the inscription showed several gaps because of damaged letters and missing first stone. The stone is found near the compound wall of Mariyamman Temple in Veraiyur. “The transcription was sent to epigraphist S. Rajagopal. According to him, the inscription was an order of a king to waive different kinds of tax levied on Kaikkolars in view of their exodus from the village due to inability to pay the tax”.

According to Mr. Rajagopal, the inscription belonged to early Vijayanagara period and the words kadamai, sammatham, and kanikkai found in the inscription denote to different kinds of taxes that prevailed then, Mr. Balamurugan added.

 

[Hindustani78]

Excavation work by the Department of Archaeology at Azhagankulam near Ramanathapuram on Wednesday. | Photo Credit: L. Balachandar
http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...nkulam-site-to-sangam-era/article19459679.ece
12,000 artefacts unearthed so far; archaeologists believe excavation could throw up more surprises
The State archaeology department, in renewed excavation at Azhagankulam in the Vaigai river valley near here, has collected more than 12,000 artefacts and found archaeological evidence to show that the site could date back to the Sangam age, quite like the archaeological site at Keezhadi in Sivaganga district.

The department, which had made 24 excavations in the village, spread out over seven seasons since 1984, embarked on a comprehensive excavation in the eighth season on May 9, including the Azhagankulam Government Higher Secondary School premises. A 5 ft tall brick chamber was unearthed, besides a variety of artefacts after digging 52 trenches.

Some of the antiquities and vestiges retrieved from the site such as ivory objects, semi-precious stone beads, copper coins, silver punch-marked coins, carnelian, quartz, crystals, amethyst, arretine wares, amphorae, furnace and iron smelters threw light on the lifestyle and socio-cultural activities of ancient Tamils, said J. Baskar, project director.

The State archaeology department already has enough evidence to show that the coastal village had functioned as an important trading post between the Sangam Pandyas and the Romans, he told The Hindu.

Sawed conches
“Nakkeerar, the medieval Tamil poet from Madurai, had mentioned about the profession of conch sawing in Sangam literature and we have retrieved hundreds of sawed conches and furnace from the site, which could link the site to the Sangam age,” he says.

The department had unearthed the evidence after digging trenches in less than one acre of the more than 200 acre site and a comprehensive excavation could throw up more surprises, he said.

The unearthing of the brick chamber at the school premises was a significant finding, he added. The 1.25 metre square and 5 feet tall chamber was used by ancient Tamils to store seeds and 150 gm of seeds of an unknown crop had been retrieved, he said. The chamber had been removed brick by brick after numbering them so that it could be reconstructed, he added.

All the artefacts retrieved from the site – the broken Roman amphora jars, Mediterranean pottery, embossed Roman potsherds, copper coins, Chinese celadon ware, rouletted ware, black, red and grey potsherds, roofing tiles and terracotta plates – were being numbered and photographed for documentation, K. Sakthivel, Excavator, said.

A team of research scholars supervised the excavation and the department would end the eighth season of excavation by the end of this month. The excavation was taken up at a total outlay of ₹55 lakh and the department had dug 52 trenches – 16 inside the school premises and 36 at Kottaimedu (mound) area – he added.

 

[Hindustani78]

http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...over-keezhadi-excavations/article19830668.ece

Centre has given approval: Minister

The Tamil Nadu government would go ahead with excavations in Keezhadi on its own, and has obtained necessary approvals from the Central Advisory Board of Archaeology (CABA), said MaFoi K. Pandiarajan, Minister for Tamil Official Language, Culture and Archeology.

The announcement is likely to put an end to the controversies surrounding the project, including the refusal to grant an extension, the delay in provision of funds and the replacement of project officials, among others.

“The fourth season of excavations at Keezhadi will be undertaken by the Tamil Nadu government itself. This will be an in-depth excavation.

“This is not a pilot project but will be a full-scale project. CABA has given its approval for us to undertake the excavation,” Mr. Pandiarajan said.

He said that the Tamil Nadu Archaeology Department will undertake the fourth stage of excavations at Keezhadi. Dr. R. Sivananthan, deputy director, and Dr. J. Bhaskar, Archaeology officer, Directorate of Archaeology, will lead the excavation.

“The excavations could even begin as early as November. We will ensure that all resources are given to the excavation teams,” Mr. Pandiarajan said.