In a significant archaeological breakthrough, a postgraduate student from Chennai has unearthed a collection of stone-age tools in southern Tamil Nadu, offering new clues about early human habitation in the region.
Student's Fieldwork Leads to Historic Find
The discovery was made by Thilagarajan, a second-year MA Archaeology student from the University of Madras, during a field exploration in Mallankinaru village in Virudhunagar district. The student, who hails from the same village, found a variety of ancient artefacts crafted from quartz. The collection includes multidirectional and radial cores, flake tools, scrapers, and hammer stones.
Jinu Koshy, the excavation in-charge from the university's Department of Ancient History and Archaeology, confirmed the find. He stated that the implements were discovered in their original resting place, or in situ, within a specific sedimentary layer. This context is crucial for accurate dating of the site.
A First for the Gundar Basin
This discovery marks the first confirmed evidence of paleolithic human occupation in Mallankinaru, located in the lower Gundar river basin. Based on the typology and technology of the tools, archaeologists have preliminarily attributed them to the Middle Paleolithic period, a crucial phase in human prehistory.
"The evidence suggests that the area was once a thriving hub of prehistoric activity," said J Soundararajan, associate professor and head of the department. He emphasized that further systematic exploration in the area could potentially uncover more ancient sites, offering valuable insights into the early human past of Tamil Nadu.
Implications for Regional Prehistory
The find gains added significance as Mallankinaru is the native village of Tamil Nadu's State Archaeology Minister, Thangam Thennarasu. Archaeologists have already recorded three Middle Paleolithic and ten microlithic sites from nearby areas, indicating a rich prehistoric landscape.
Thilagarajan pointed out that the sedimentary context of the tools will help in scientifically dating the site and firmly placing the village within the broader Indian Middle Paleolithic context. So far, the well-dated benchmark for the region has been Attirampakkam, a paleolithic site near Tiruvallur.
Jinu Koshy highlighted the potential of this discovery, noting that dating this site could reveal more about the Middle Paleolithic age in south Tamil Nadu. He called for fresh explorations for paleolithic sites in the southern districts of the state. In total, about 50 stone tools were recovered from the village, including some that possibly belong to the later Mesolithic period.
