Country India District Sivaganga Time zone IST (UTC+5:30) Elevation 123 m | State Tamil Nadu Block Thirupuvanam PIN 630611 Area code 0452 | |
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Keeladi, also spelled Keezhadi, is a small village near Silaiman on the border between Madurai and Sivagangai district in southern India. Palli Chandai is a famous location near Keeladi.
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Map of Keeladi, Tamil Nadu
An Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) excavation in Keeladi revealed an ancient settlement dated tentatively to 4th Century B.C. The Roman artifacts found at the site add to the evidence of ancient Indo-Roman trade relations.
Archaeological findings
Since 2013, archaeological excavation has been carried out from Theni to Ramanathapuram along the banks of the Vaigai. An estimated 293 sites have been identified including temples, ports, small settlements and commercial sites. In March 2016, a group of archaeologists from Excavation Branch VI of the Archaeological Survey of India was able to excavate a major settlement which appears to have been an industrial or commercially important settlement area near Keezhadi. The settlement is estimated to have covered around eighty acres.
The initial study suggests that the settlement must have been between early 3rd Century BC to 10th century A.D for industrial purposes, although further study on the archaeological remains may shed more light on the dating of the civilization. Wells, red brick walls, pottery, ornaments including bone accessories, iron spears, and a ceramic tile with a Tamil inscription were found.
The use of fired brick, the size of the building complex, an array of pots placed in such a way that it must have been used either as a lamp or for painting, and other finds suggest that the settlement is of a more civilized population than was previously suspected during the Sangam period.