Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin announced the discovery in the assembly.
Chennai:
A shot in the arm for Tamil Nadu’s claims to be home to a rich civilization much older than previously thought, the recent scientific evidence of human habitation over 3,200 years old in the ‘Porunai’ archaeological excavations along the Thamiraparani river has been received, the state government said on Thursday.
Announcing this in the state assembly, Chief Minister MK Stalin said carbon dating tests of rice grains and husks found in the urn by the Miami-based Beta Analytical Testing Laboratory have shown that they date back to 1155 BC.
Earlier excavations from Adhichanallur and Korkai, believed to be a port, in the Tuticorin district, have been confirmed by experts to date back to the 9th century BCE and 8 BCE respectively, confirming a mature civilization there, now known as a port. It is called Tamiraparani.
Underlining the need to update the civilizational history of the Indian subcontinent, MK Stalin said, “The civilizational history of the Indian subcontinent should be rewritten from the Tamil Nadu scenario.”
The carbon dating was done by the Beta Analytic Testing Laboratory in Miami, Florida, USA.
Similar findings of a silver punch-marked coin with symbols of the sun, moon, taurine and some geometric designs found at Keeladi excavations in Sivaganga district, compared with the Gupta Hardekar series, were found to belong to the Mauryas of the 4th century BC. Huh. The latest revelations have told the Porunai civilization to be 600 years old.
Describing the Porunai civilization as one of the oldest in South India and backed by a scientific process, Industries and Archeology Minister Thangam Thenrasu told NDTV, “It scientifically proves that Tamil civilization is as ancient as the Indus Valley Civilization. Tamil is a classical language. Earlier it was painted. Not as old as painted. Now it has been scientifically established through scientific process that it is an ancient language and there existed a civilization which was cultural, trade and industrial Was very rich in activities.”
Noted historian V Sriram said, “In the past, we have a lot of literary evidence in the context of Sangam poetry which describes very clearly how advanced regions like Korkai and Kaveripoompattinam were. These findings are now only supported by those valuable texts. are doing.”
The state government has said that it will set up an archaeological museum in Tirunelveli for Rs 15 crore and expand its archaeological excavations and research to other countries such as Egypt, Oman, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam, with whom the ancient Tamils traded and traded. There is a cultural connection. .
Confirming that it was the new DMK government that sent samples for carbon dating, Mr. Thenarasu said, “Whenever the DMK comes to power, it gives importance to Tamil, Tamil culture and Tamil development. Even That within a short period, we have made this important discovery.”
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