From potshads to iron equipment, the residence mound and buried site add significant data to the archaeological profile of the ancient Tamil Nadu’s Naduvil Mandalam. N. Sai Charan recently excavated in full excavation of Tamil Nadu State Department of Archeology
Another otherwise located in a belt of green cashews is located in a belt of green cashews in Panaruti taluk in Kudalore district of the quiet village Marungur, recently entered archaeological headlines. The Chennai-Kumbconam highway near Kolukkaran village leads to this site at a distance of 2-km, where the Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology (TNSDA) recently completed excavation, which was brought for a long-term pimples and mild evidences of the past and the admission of Tamil cardu.
This area was part of ancient Naduvil mandalam Or Naduvilanadu (Central Territorial Division), Tatkalei in the north and Vada Veller in the south were hoisted. Marungur was one of the eight places, where TNSDA excavated in 2024–25.
While the exact period through chemical dating is yet to be confirmed, the initial conclusions of Marungur pointed to a well -established settlement, possibly settled by communities during the phase of transition from the early part of the iron era to the initial historical period, R. Sivantham, director of Marungur excavation, and joint director of TNSDA said. They have archaeologists. Bakiyalakshmi and S. Subhashi, as well as research scholars were assisted.
Explosion by TNSDA, using remote-snelling techniques such as unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) mapping and Lidar (light detection and ranging) to assess various characteristics of the site, revealed that the settlement of the township was deployed at a height of 100 meters above the sea level. Subsequently, a formal excavation was introduced to the methods and analysis of material culture.
Chief Minister MK Stalin started archaeological excavation from the State Secretariat on June 18, 2024 in Marungur, as well as excavation in Shivganga district in Keladi and its cluster (Kondagai); Wambcottai in Virudhunagar; Kilmandi in Thiruvanamalai; Porpanicottai in Pudukottai; Tirumalapuram in Tenkasi; Sennoor in Krishnagiri; And Kongalanagarm in Tiruppur.
Investigation in Marungur
The importance of Marungur came out more than a decade ago. A report published in Hindu On March 5, 2010, the Tamil Brahmi along with inscriptions was discovered at a Kalash burial site in Potshard Marungur. A history lecturer at Annamalai University was first collected by Junior Sivaramakrishnan, when an earthquake dug the soil to strengthen the Vadalur-Panrauti Road in Marungur.
The report said, “This is the first time such vessels with Tamil Brahmi letters, which are usually kept as serious goods in the Kalash, have been recovered from any archaeological site in Tamil Nadu. It opens a new chapter in archaeological research in the state,” The report says in the report, in which the three experts have said, in which three experts have been said, in which the famous archaeologists. Rajan includes. According to official sources in TNSDA, one was inscribed with “A-Ti-Y (A) -KA-N”, and other with “A-MA-ṉ” and “A-Ta”. These engraved potsherds can be dated back on the pallographic ground in the second or third century BC.
Further explores revealed a variety of artifacts on the surface of the mound of the township, which is located adjacent to a pond in the south -west of the burial site. Finds had light brown raled ware potsards, black-red ware potsards, microlithic tools and a semi-semi-chisel.
On the southern flank of the residence mound, a brick residue measuring 7 × 21 × 42 cm, flat terracotta stones of different sizes, was used to play hopscotes, and were found to play the hopscot, and were found – green, purple, yellow, black and white – found. Other artifacts consisted of black-end-red ware pottery, terracotta pipe, a urn, circular stand, black polished ware and a lid made of iron tools.
Digging on the mound of the colony
In the eastern part of the tank in Marungur, a total of eight trenches, separated at the depth based on each strategraphic markers, were excavated on the mound of the settlement, which is mainly located in an area made of letterite clay. Decades ago, during the construction of a nearby pond, large versions of silt would have been dumped on the mound. This anthropological activity resulted in accumulation of about 2 meters of silt, which was faced during trenching, said Shri Shivantham.
One of one of the trenches was the address of two large terracotta storage containers, each at a depth of about 1.25 meters, at a depth of 4.4 meters. In one of these containers, six bone points with sharp edges were found at the bottom. Some more bone points were also detected during the excavation. In containers, there was a clear proof of soil firing activities exposed in and around the containers. From the same strategraphic layer, charcoal samples were recovered, which provides an opportunity for radioacarbon dating and further relevant analysis, he said.
Two internal core of conch shells, measured 7 cm in length of one, detected at a depth of 3.6 meters. A 13-cm long iron knife, which broke into three pieces, was also recovered from a depth of 2.57 meters, to measure 22.97 grams and 2.8 mm in thickness.
Black-end-red ware, red-slipped ware, thick red ware, ralted ware with complex designs, gray-ruleted ware, various potshadars, including brown-slipped ware, and perforated ware, were found during excavations, which indicate notable diversity in ceramic use. They also include 12 graffiti-bearing pots. Several burnt equipment used to brighten the surface of earthen utensils and terracotta wheels were also found.
The excavation received a rich collection of 95 antiquities, including a polished stone ax, caraelian, aget, quartz, glass and terracotta beads, copper bangle pieces, an iron knife and terracotta object. Antimony rods were detected, their blunt edges indicate that they were used for decorative purposes. From the period of King King Chola, a medieval copper coin was also revealed by top layers.
“The mother’s gap was excavated on the south -western part of the mound of the township, was about six meters deep. Beyond a depth of six meters, natural soil marks were observed, indicating the absence of any other anthropological activity,” Shri Sivantham said that Marungur said that Marungur said that Marungur was one of some places in Tamil Nadu.
Excavation at the burial site
At the burial site located in Cashew Grove, archaeologists dug two trenches. During the excavation, two latarite stone circles were identified, which confirms the presence of megalithic burial. Overall, 10 urns were detected from these two trenches.
The first megalithic structure detected a letterite stone circle with a diameter of eight meters. The surface of the circle was covered with small letterite stones, which was detected, two concentrated stone circles were detected-the internal circle made of the exterior structure of the middle-sized letters and large stones.
The Stone Circle was divided into four fourths for methodical excavation. Early layers produced hard letterite stone. In the center, a large capstone was found, which was placed below to protect the buried urn. The Kalash was placed inside a letterite bedock cavity. This Megalith produced two urns, Shri Shivanatham said.
In the second megalithic burial area, under the lettite layers, a fine red clay stratum was encountered, out of which eight urns made of red ware were exposed at different levels and in different sizes. Iron swords were found outside the two urns, while other iron objects were recovered from inside the urn. A Kalash produced red jasper beads, he said.
In both trenches, utensils were offered around the Kalash. These included Black-and-Red Ware, Red-Slipped Ware, Black-Slipped Ware and Plain Red Ware utensils.
Proposed scientific analysis
The samples collected from the settlement mounds and the burial site will be subjected to a limit of scientific analyzes once said that Marungar said once a limit to establish chronology of the formation of the site, dating with artifacts and antiques and re -organizing the lifestyle and food habits of the communities.
Charcoal samples will be sent to the beta analytic laboratory at Florida, US for accelerator mass spectrometry analysis, while the pollen samples collected will be sent to the French Institute of Pondicherry. In addition, Archaeo-Botanical investigations, phytoliths and petrol analysis, and alternatively stimulated luminescence and thermolumination dating will be employed to determine sediment and liability for heat or light.
Constant cultural development in this region – from iron era to early historical period – will be established through chronological and scientific analysis on the basis of any artworks, Mr. Shivantham said.
The University of Madras had already excavated near Marungur, Karrikadu and Kudikadu. This site also holds importance as it is located close to the ancient port cities of the EricMeme in Puducherry and Pumpuhar’s center area of Mayiladuthurai district. TNSDA has also looted preliminary surveys in Manikkolai, about 30 km from Marungur to excavate during 2025-26.
