Preserved Dagger Could Help Unlock A Mysterious, Long-Lost Indian Civilization
Image via Government of Tamil Nadu
In the village of Konthagai, southern India, archaeologists have retrieved an iron dagger that holds a missing piece in studying the little-known Keeladi civilization.
The dagger, preserved in a burial urn alongside skeletal remains, had a wooden handle, which remained partially intact. This preservation, a rare occurrence in wooden materials, may allow researchers to date the site’s artifacts more precisely. It’s not yet known how the wood stayed in such great condition all these centuries.
Some of the artifacts unearthed in this site date back to 580 BC, as reported by the Smithsonian Magazine. Skeletons of large animals have been found, suggesting agricultural activity, and remains of board games and art pieces with Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions point towards a culture yet to be further discovered.
Image via Government of Tamil Nadu
The Times of India reports that this is the first dagger of its kind to have been discovered in the region. Apart from a six-centimeter-long (2.4 inches) wooden handle, its blade measured 40cm (15.7 inches) in length, but was found broken into two.
Experts at the Madurai Kamaraj University are studying and dating the samples found in burial urns in Konthagai, and this dagger will be no exception. Dating the preserved wood will confirm if their research so far has been accurate, or shine new light on the current results.
As the Times of India notes, researchers believe that Konthagai was a burial site for the Keeladi civilization. Alongside this village, areas in the villages of Agaram, Manulur and Keeladi—the civilization’s namesake—are also being investigated. Ever since excavation began for the seventh time in February this year, more than 850 artifacts have been retrieved.
Findings such as this dagger also offer tactile evidence about the Sangam era, known largely for Tamil literature. With these new artifacts, researchers now say the Sangam period may have begun around 600 BC, earlier than what was previously believed.
@CMOTamilNadu released TN Archeological Excavations 2020 - Interim report. @mafoikprajan#Keeladi #Keezhadi #Sivaganga #Sivagangai #Agaram #Konthagai #Manalur pic.twitter.com/Qpsxxdpbn5
— Vignesh Vijayakumar (விக்னேஷ் விஜயகுமார்) (@reportervignesh) August 24, 2020
[via Smithsonian Magazine, image via Government of Tamil Nadu]
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