Iron Age began in Tamil soil, asserts Minister Thangam Thennarasu
Exhibits from excavations conducted in Keezhadi, Korkai, Sivagalai and Adichanallur are being arranged for public viewing, he said, adding that the museum will offer a valuable learning opportunity using digital and information technology tools.
Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu inspected the exhibition works of the "Porunai" Museum (X/@TThenarasu)
TIRUNALVELI: The Iron Age civilisation began in Tamil soil, according to findings from recent excavations, Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu said here on Monday after reviewing the near-complete Porunai Museum coming up at Palayamkottai.
The government is constructing the museum at Rettiyarpatti in the Tirunelveli Corporation limits for Rs 56 crore, and the works are in the final stages. Artefacts unearthed from Adichanallur, Sivagalai and Korkai — key archaeological sites linked to early Tamil civilisation — will be displayed here. Chief Minister MK Stalin is scheduled to inaugurate the museum on December 20.
After inspecting the ongoing work, Thangam Thennarasu told reporters that the facility has been developed to highlight Tamil civilisation. Exhibits from excavations conducted in Keezhadi, Korkai, Sivagalai and Adichanallur are being arranged for public viewing, he said, adding that the museum will offer a valuable learning opportunity using digital and information technology tools.
Referring to Iron Age research, he said studies have shown that ancient Tamils had discovered iron usage several thousand years ago. Objects linked to the Iron Age, found during excavations, will be displayed in the museum. These findings, he said, provide evidence that the Iron Age civilisation originated in present-day Tamil Nadu.
He added that under the Dravidian model of governance, the State Archaeology Department has carried out several excavations to showcase Tamil civilisation, and artefacts unearthed from these sites are being exhibited across the State.
Former minister TPM Mohideen Khan, MLA Abdul Wahab, Tirunelveli Corporation Deputy Mayor KR Raju, DMK functionaries and other local representatives accompanied him.
