The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has initiated the process to declare a 26-feet tall menhir (kuththukkal in Tamil) located at Kumarikkalpalayam hamlet in Kaavunthampalayam village of Uthukuli taluk in Tiruppur district as a centrally protected monument of national importance.
Official sources said the Office of the Superintending Archaeologist, ASI, Tiruchi, has forwarded proposals for protection and excavation of the menhir and other associated archaeological remains at the site to the Director General of the ASI in New Delhi.
In August, the ASI sought revenue records and requested a joint survey from the Tiruppur district administration as part of the procedure to notify the menhir as a Centrally Protected Monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958. The Revenue Department is currently in the process of finalising the approach path to the menhir in the village. Officials said four possible routes were examined before narrowing down on one. An ASI official said delineation of the access path would facilitate protection of the monument.
According to ASI officials, excavation at Kumarikkalpalayam is expected to shed significant light on the megalithic and Iron Age periods. The proposal has also been described as being of utmost importance by the State government’s Department of Archaeology.
In June, the Tamil Nadu Department of Archaeology had assured that the 26-feet menhir, a granite structure believed to belong to the megalithic period, would be declared a protected monument under the Tamil Nadu Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1966. Following an inspection by a group of archaeologists, who confirmed the historical importance of the site in a report, T Udayachandran, Principal Secretary and Commissioner of the Department of Archaeology, sought a proposal from the Tiruppur district administration for declaring the structure as a protected monument.
In their study, the archaeologists referred to the mention of the menhir in the 249th verse of Akananuru, a Sangam-era classical Tamil anthology, and reported the discovery of urns and pottery fragments dating back to ancient times at the site.
Historians from the Central University of Tamil Nadu (CUTN) had, in 2023, confirmed the significance of the structure and identified traces of iron ore in the area, indicating the manufacture of iron tools for agricultural use during the period.
Residents of Kumarikkalpalayam have expressed support for the proposed ASI excavation. A farmer owning land near the menhir site said villagers were prepared to part with their properties with the objective of preserving and safeguarding traces of ancient history.
Source: The Hindu
Subscribe to our channels on WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram and YouTube to get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.
