Located about 100 km from Keeladi, the Sangam-era site which is at least 2,600 years old, Vembakottai in Virudhunagar district is emerging as a one of the prime archaeological sites in Tamil Nadu.
Vembakottai: When archaeologists from the Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology (TNSDA) began digging at Vembakottai on the north banks of Vaippar River in 2022, they were expecting to unearth raw materials, tools, and artefacts from the Microlithic Age onwards.
But what they chanced upon in the last three years is overwhelming evidence of the existence of an industrial unit that manufactured shell bangles and glass beads, at least 2,000 years ago.
Not just that, antiquities unearthed in the three phases of excavation so far reveal the workmanship of the ancient Tamil who excelled in the art of engraving and decorating shell bangles and ornaments with unique designs.
Located about 100 km from Keeladi, the Sangam-era site which is at least 2,600 years old, Vembakottai in Virudhunagar district is emerging as a one of the prime archaeological sites in Tamil Nadu. It has been scientifically proven iron started being used as early as 3345 BCE (5,300 years ago).
Located about 100 km from Keeladi, the Sangam-era site which is at least 2,600 years old, Vembakottai in Virudhunagar district is emerging as a one of the prime archaeological sites in Tamil Nadu. It has been scientifically proven iron started being used as early as 3345 BCE (5,300 years ago).
Though the site hasn’t been dated yet, archaeologists believed it could be at least 2,000 years old and have sent samples for scientific analyses.
Glass and shell manufacturing
“Vembakottai continues to bewilder us. We did find core Microlithic materials like chert as expected but what is clear now is the presence of a thriving unit that made glass beads and shell bangles,” excavation director Pon Baskar said as he took the DH correspondent around the trenches to explain the meticulous nature of the craftsmanship of the inhabitants.
Believed to be part of the famed Pandya Kingdom, Vembakottai has yielded a rich collection of antiquities with the total number reaching about 12,000. While 3,254 antiquities were unearthed in the first phase, the number rose to 4,660 in the second phase, and the figure is 4,056 so far in the third phase, which will end in a few weeks. In total, 56 trenches were dug.