The Hindu : Kerala News : Thaikkal ship: excavation process stopped

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Apr 12, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Thaikkal ship: excavation process stopped

By Our Staff Reporter

ALAPPUZHA, APRIL 11. After the initial interest shown during the first phase of excavation, the

State Archaeological Department and the Government seem to have lost interest in the ancient ship, excavated at Thaikkal in the district two years ago.

Excavation of the Archaeological Department, which commenced on April 2002, had unearthed a 20-metre-long and four-metre broad ship from Kochuthara, Thaikkal, near Cherthala. The location is at a distance of two km from the sea.

According to a communiqué issued by the department at that time, the excavations were stopped as a major portion of the ship had been unearthed.

The Minister in-charge of Archaeology, T.M. Jacob, had assured the public that excavations would restart after the monsoon of 2003. But, the promise was not implemented. At present, the ship is kept in a wooden box structure of length 25-metre and breadth eight-metre, erected at the site itself. The ship is almost half immersed in water. The department has appointed a watchman at the site to protect the ship.

The department had removed the artefacts and implements recovered from the ship to its office. The items recovered from the ship included bones of animals, an anchor, various household utensils and some ornaments.

After the cessation of excavations, the department was in a dilemma as to what to do with the ship. According to one of the projects of the department, the ship was to be removed to the Hill Palace Museum of the department at Thripunithura. But, a section of experts had opposed it, as removing the ship from the excavated site was likely to damage it.

The locals also opposed it, as they wanted to build a museum at the site. Meanwhile, it was also pointed out that the Government would have to spend a large amount to lift the ship out of the site. Though various foreign governments had offered financial assistance for preserving the ship, but no follow up action was taken in the matter.

The local residents point out that it would soon become impossible to carry out excavations as the coming monsoon will make it difficult to work in the area. At present, some public organisations have come out in protest against the failure of the authorities to complete the excavation work. They said the public in the area would boycott the elections if the Government failed to take immediate action to complete the excavation and preserve the ship.

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