Artefacts and potteries dating back to the Sangam period were unearthed at Kodukkur village, located on the banks of the Sankarabarani river in Villupuram district during an .
The artefacts including black and red ware, conical shaped bowls, part of amphoras, various types of jars and lids with intricate carvings were found spread in an expanse of 50 acres of agricultural lands on the southern bank of the river. The site is located close to the National Fossil Wood Park in Thiruvakkarai.
The site was found by a team of researchers led by D. Ramesh, assistant professor of History, Government Arts College, Villupuram. According to Mr. Ramesh, the site came to light when a group of workers were scooping out earth in the land belonging to Jayabalan for constructing a brick kiln.
An initial excavation revealed red ware, black ware, ring stands scattered around the area. “We also found bones, parts of amphora and big bricks similar to the one found in Keezhadi and Adichanallur in Tirunelveli district in Tamil Nadu,” he said. The evidence suggests that this area must have been a site habituated by humans dating back to the Sangam period, he added.
While Kodukkur village is located on the south of the Sankarabarani river,Thiruvakarai, known for its fossil wood, is located on the northern side. Evidence indicated that this was a thickly populated township, Mr. Ramesh said.
Villupuram Member of Parliament D. Ravikumar, who visited the site on Thursday, said the deposits unearthed at the site dated back to over 2,000 years and had significant historical significance. Big bricks similar to those found in Keezhadi and various types of jars were among the artefacts found here, he said.
Mr. Ravikumar said he had informed T. Udayachandran, Commissioner of Archaeology, of his visit and prevailed upon him to immediately depute a team to Kodukkur to undertake excavation at the site.
