Chennai: A radiocarbon dating analysis undertaken by Beta Analytic Testing Laboratory in Miami, US, of rice with soil found in a burial urn at Sivakalai in southern Tamil Nadu, has revealed that the Thamirabarani river civilisation dates back to 1155 BCE, ie 3,200 years ago.
Announcing this in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly on Thursday, Chief Minister M K Stalin proudly said, “The finding has established that the Porunai River (now known as Thamirabarani) civilisation dates back to 3,200 years. It is the Government’s task to scientifically prove that the history of the Indian sub-continent should begin from the Tamil landscape.”
Enthused by the finding, he said Tamil Nadu would now seek to jointly undertake archaeological excavations with Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Odisha in search of Tamil roots. “In the first phase, we will conduct studies at the ancient port of Musiri, which is now known as Pattanam in Kerala (where the Cheras once ruled), to establish the ancientness of culture. Likewise, studies would be undertaken in Vengi in Andhra Pradesh, Thalaikadu in Karnataka and Palur in Odisha,” the Chief Minister said.
A Porunai Museum would be established in Tirunelveli district an an investment of Rs 15 crore.
Going beyond the country’s borders, the Tamil Nadu Archaeology Department would collaborate for research at Khor Rori in Oman and Quseir al-Qadim and Pernica Aneke in Egypt to trace the trade relations that ancient Tamils had with these regions. To trace the contribution of the Rajendra Chola period, joint studies would be conducted in Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, Stalin added.
The Chief Minister pointed out that earlier excavations at Adichanallur and Korkai had pointed to evidence of civilisation back to 9 BCE and 8 BCE.
The latest revelations put Porunai civilisation older by 600 years.
