Pipelines Unearthed at Adhichanallur Excavation Site

MADURAI: A pipeline structure with 21 pipes fitted continuously was found in Adhichanallur, Tuticorin district.
The Tamil Nadu State Archaeology department is on an endeavour to find the habitation at the site that is considered to be one of the oldest archaeological sites in India.

The archaeology department started excavation in this site on May 25, 2020 and the work is expected to go on till September 30 this year.
One of the first excavations in India was conducted in Adhichanallur in the year 1876, following which excavations were done in 114 acres of protected land in this site in 1902 and then the year 2004.

As a large number of burial urns were found in this site, it was concluded that this was an ancient burial site.
Now, archaeologists led by Adhichanallur excavation director J Baskar, archaeological officer Loganathan and students of archaeology are working on the site to know about its habitation.
An interesting fact is that this pipeline structure is longer than those found in Keeladi in Sivaganga so far.
Director J Baskar said that the recent findings prove that Adhichanallur had a habitation and burial site.
“Early archeologists focused only on burial urns, hence it was believed that it was an ancient burial site, ” he said.
Now, 76 trenches have been dug and they have found a lot of evidence to show that this also had a habitation. While the pipeline is a major finding, other things that archaeologists have found here include roof tiles, pottery with Tamil brahmi inscriptions and graffiti, smoking pipes and also games that look like chess.
This apart, four human skulls and bones were also unearthed and given to Madurai Kamaraj University for DNA analysis.