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VIRUDHUNAGAR: The carnelian beads unearthed during the first phase of the Vembakottai excavation have presumably brought to light the region's trade links with Afghanistan centuries ago.

As per Vembakottai Excavation Director, Pon Baskar, the beads, found in Afghanistan, could have been imported from there to decorate shell bangles, an industry that had been thriving in the region those days. He also cites a copper coin unearthed from the region as a testimony to the existence of trade.

Baskar said many terracotta seals (Vaniga muthirai) have also been unearthed from the site. "While some of the seals are single-dotted, some are six-dotted, some have designs on them and a few have their centre bulged. "Since the site has different seals, it is evident that different groups of people could have come here for work. Each group might have had different seals," he said, adding terracotta weighing units have also been recovered from here.

The excavation which was inaugurated by Thangam Thennarasu, Minister for Department of Industries, Tamil Official Language, Tamil Culture and Archeology along with R Sivanandam, Director of Department of Archaeology, Tamil Nadu, district collector J Meghanath Reddy among others on March 16 ended on September 30. It was carried out on Uchimedu, and 16 trenches had to be dug for it. Baskar said 3,254 antiquities were unearthed during the excavation out of which 60 per cent of the antiquities are shell bangles and glass beads and 20 per cent are terracotta items including, beads, figurines of humans and animals. The rest of the antiquities includes ivory pendants, amethyst, and carnelian beads.

The excavation director said the shell bangles obtained from the site are broken, unfinished, and decorated. "This indicates only the decorative work of the bangles was carried out here. There were neither full shells nor materials used for cutting them. The shells could have been sourced from another place and the cutting works could have been carried out at a different place," he said, adding the fully decorated shell bangles were exported and the waste (recovered during the excavation) was discarded here.Artistic SkillsBaskar pointed out all the decorative works in the shell bangles are done by hand and the designs on the bangles are floral in nature. "A few bangles were also painted red using natural colours. The artwork of performing artistes needs a lot of patience to do. They had done it meticulously," he said.

He further said the shells were sourced from Thoothukudi (where conch picking is a common livelihood even now) and were cut in some other place before transporting it for decoration work. "Many decorated terracotta earrings have also been unearthed from the site," he said.

Leisure activities and Lifestyle

The terracotta items including gamesmen and hopscotches unearthed from the site reveal that people working in the industry had spent their leisure playing games including Paandi. The terracotta figurines of birds and humans were also being used as toys for playing. The evidence of fire activities was found in all 16 trenches. "The activities must have been carried out for making terracotta items," he added.

Around three ivory pendants, and a gold ear ornament were recovered from the region. "This could have been worn by women or the group leader, and they indicate that rich people had lived here," Baskar said, adding the exact time period the artefacts belonged to could only be said after carbon dating.

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Vembakottai excavation throws light on trade link with Afghanistan - The New Indian Express