There’s excitement at Keeladi in Sivaganga as a cluster of pots, buried for more than two millennia, has been unearthed during the 11th phase of excavations in Sivaganga district.Among them, say archaeologists, is an almost perfectly preserved complete circular vessel. The pot is less than a foot in height and has a 12cm diameter.“We found a big red ware pot and a smaller black slipped one, along with some broken pieces of pots,” says Ramesh Masethung, excavation director for Keeladi. All these were made with clay and found intact. Those were unearthed from about four feet. Black slipped ware is an ancient type of pottery characterized by a dark coating (slip) applied to the surface of a clay vessel before firing.“It’s significant that the artefact was found intact,” says Ramesh. “Comparative dating of the pot indicates it belongs to the 3rd century BC. We have excavated another just like this one. Initial findings suggest this pot was used for storage. But we will be able to tell more only after analyzing the residue.”The Keeladi findings point to an urban and industrial settlement that flourished for 800 years, from the 6th century BCE to the 2nd century CE. Archaeologists say Keeladi is regarded as the first site that transformed the understanding of archaeology in Tamil Nadu. The state archaeology department is collaborating with more than 20 research institutions from India and overseas on the project.
