Keeladi

Keeladi

Subject: Art and Culture

Context: A punch-marked silver coin that was dug out during the seventh phase of excavation at Keeladi last week has sent a wave of excitement among archaeologists, as they are further able to collate and establish trading activity of the civilisation believed to have flourished on the banks of Vaigai river more than 2,500 years ago

Concept:

• The finding of a single punched-mark silver coin so far is stated to be unique. However, a similar semi-circular silver coin was excavated earlier, at a depth of 162 cm, during the fourth phase of excavation at Keeladi
• The designs on the coin, are of the sun, moon, a bull, taurine, and another animal that resembles a dog on one side and a semi-circle with two small geometric L-shaped marks on the obverse. It is proof that there was trading with north India, where such coins were in use in the 6th Century BCE.
• The shape, which is partly oval with rectangular edges on two sides, looks like a magnified drop. It indicates the time period of the Mauryan Empire
• The finding and information helps bridge the connection between the north and the south in the Gangetic valley.
• The excavation of beads, copper objects, northern black polished ware, semi-precious stones and punch-mark coins indicate that skilled people were importing raw materials, maybe from Gujarat and Afghanistan, and a flourishing making and cutting industry for jewels and other artefacts existed here.

Other findings

• The second urbanization of Vaigai plains happened in Tamil Nadu during the 6^th century BC. The contemporary of Gangetic plains was the Iron Age The carbon dating test confirmed the date of the Tamil-Brahmi script is dated to the year 580 BC.
• Skeletal fragments of Cow/Ox & Buffalo, Sheep & Goat, Nilgai & Blackbuck, Wild boar, and Peacock. Pottery specimens from Keeladi confirmed that the water containers and cooking vessels were shaped out of locally available raw materials.
• The recovery of spindle whorls, pinpointed bone tip tools, hanging stones of the yarn, terracotta spheres, copper needle, and earthen vessels to hold liquid, outlines the various stages of weaving industryfrom spinning, yarning, looming, weaving and dyeing.

The Vaigai River

• The Vaigai river rises on the Eastern slopes of the Varushanadu hills  near Kottaimalai in the Madurai district
• It flows in the Northerly and North-Easterly directions up to its confluence with the Varahanadhi and then takes a turn towards the East and South-East to flow through Madurai, Sivagangai and Ramanathapuram districts.
• The river Vaigai discharges into Ramnad big tank and some other tanks.
• The surplus water from the tanks finally discharges into the Palk Bay near Mandapam.

The Mauryan rule coins

• The major changes that took place in the economic sphere during the Mauryan rule were increasing the use of coins, improvement in trade and commerce, improvement in communication and transportation and so on. Mauryan coins were similar to the punch mark silver coins of Early Kingdoms. But Mauryan coins generally had five punches and also a sun symbol in those punches.
• The coins issued by the MaryAnn are mostly silver and a few copper pieces of metal in various shapes, sizes and weights. They also have one or more symbols punched on them. The symbols included the elephant, the tree in the railing symbol and the mountain. Some were geometrical symbols.
• Arthasastra says that the metal was first melted in crucibles (musha) and purified with alkalis or `Kshara` as part of the manufacturing of coins. These purified metals were then beaten into sheets on an anvil with a hammer, cut into pieces with clippers and finally were stamped with dies or punches with symbols. Coins had either the Royal insignia or the symbol of the local guild that struck the coin.
• Mauryan punch mark coins are broadly divided into two categories; the first period and the second period attributed to the Janapadas or small local states and the Imperial Mauryan period respectively.
• A great number of Mauryan punch mark coins have been found, the period of which can be traced from 300 – 100 BC. Coins have been also identified as cut from full coins for the purpose of half denominations. It is said that at the end of the Mauryan period, the country was affected by rising inflation.