The excavations at Mayiladumparai in Krishnagiri district have yielded a full-length iron sword broken at places.
“We have unearthed swords in the past at many places. But they are small. This is the first time the Department of Archaeology has unearthed a full-length sword with a handle in Tamil Nadu. The length is 60 cm,” Minister for Archaeology Thangam Thennarasu told The Hindu.
The Archaeological Survey of India had previously found a full-length sword, but not in Tamil Nadu.
Mayiladumparai is one of the seven sites where the Tamil Nadu Department of Archaeology has launched excavations following permission from the Central Advisory Board for Archaeology in January. The State has allotted ₹3 crore.
Mr. Thennarasu said the sword was found in a megalithic cist burial monument in which the dead were buried with their belongings. “We have not removed the sword from the site. We have to join the pieces after recovering it,” he said.
