The State Archaeology department will seek the help of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to conduct a detailed survey of the sites in Attappady from where archaeological evidence of Iron Age habitation was found.
With an ASI licence, the Archaeology department will explore, and excavate if needed, several parts of Attappady soon. “We have discovered enough evidence to reach a presumption that a solid Iron Age habitation existed in Attappady about 2,000 years ago,” said Krishnaraj K., archaeologist who led a two-day field visit to Attappady.
Solid evidence
A wide variety of megalithic pottery, cist burials and urn burials were discovered from different sites along the banks of the Bhavani, Siruvani, and Kodumkarapallam rivers during an extensive post-doctoral study undertaken by economist A.D. Manikandan among the tribal communities of Attappady.
Mr. Krishnaraj, after completing his initial survey on Thursday, said that it was too early to say if a Stone Age culture existed in Attappady. “We could not find any stone tools,” he said. However, he said that some cave paintings in a remote hill remained to be examined before reaching a conclusion.
Mr. Krishnaraj and team examined two stone inscriptions – one at Pattanakkallu and the other at a temple at Karayur, Naikkarpadi – on Thursday, and found that they belonged to the 11th and 12th centuries. The inscriptions could throw light on the fact that there existed a popular trade route through Attappady during the medieval period.
Extensive survey
In Kerala, the Iron Age is roughly calculated to have spread between 1,000 BC and AD 500. “We could easily say that Attappady is a site of Iron Age megalithic culture,” said Mr. Krishnadas, adding that an extensive survey was needed to establish the presumptions.
“We will write to the ASI seeking a licence to explore and excavate, if needed, in Attappady, a large part of it has a forest cover,” he said.
Megalithic burial sites were found at different places on both sides of the Kodumkarapallam river. The river flows through the south-eastern end of State border in Attappady. While the western side of the river falls in Attappady, the eastern side is in Tamil Nadu.
