Thirumalapuram Excavations: New Insights into Tamil Nadu's Iron Age Culture
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: Ancient History of India (Iron Age, Megalithic Culture in South India); Art and Culture (Pottery types - Black-and-red ware); Current events of national importance (Archaeological discoveries and sites like Adichanallur, Sivagalai).
Mains:
General Studies Paper 1 (Art & Culture / Ancient History): Salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times; Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times. Recent archaeological findings that challenge or supplement existing knowledge about ancient Indian history are important.
Key Highlights from the News
New evidence of Iron Age culture discovered during archaeological excavations in Thirumalapuram, Tenkasi district, Tamil Nadu.
Researchers believe this site, similar to Adichanallur and Sivagalai, could date back to the 3rd millennium BCE.
This is a large burial site.
Key Discoveries:
Several urn burials found within a chamber made of stone slabs. This is the first such discovery in Tamil Nadu.
White-painted designs on Black-and-red ware pottery, a unique characteristic of this region.
Images of humans, mountains, deer, and turtles found on pottery.
78 artifacts including swords, spears, and axes made of gold, bronze, and iron were recovered.
These findings shed new light on the ancient history of Tamil Nadu, especially regions near the Western Ghats.
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