Kerala - Kochi   

State initiates steps to get back Neolithic artefacts

Photo: By Special Arrangement

PRECIOUS TOOLS: Neolithic Celts discovered from the Kalady area, near Kochi. —

KOCHI: Archaeological findings dating back about 3,000 years discovered in the Kalady area are in peril. The Neolithic relics have ended up in private custody, prompting the State Archaeology Department to initiate a move to recover them. An archaeology enthusiast K.A. Ali had recovered 43 stone axes (Neolithic Celts) and a grinding stone from a tributary of the Periyar.

Two teachers of a private college in the region reportedly took possession of the major portion of the finds, which prompted the Archaeology Department to act.

In south India, the period between 4000 B.C. and 1000 B.C. is considered Neolithic age. Though a large number of stone tools from the age were collected from Tamil Nadu during the second half of the 19th century, only a few were collected from the State, archaeologists said.

Mr. Ali collected the Celts from a paleo-channel (old river channel) which flows through Mekkaladi near Kalady.

The department is understood to have written to the teachers to return the finds considering the archaeological and historical value of the find, they said.

A number of stone tools were recovered from the banks of the river channel Kottamnam Thodu.

The Celts are of parabolic shape with sharp cutting edges and an average length of 15 cm. The cutting edge of bigger axes has a width of 8 cm.

The conical end of the axe helped the user to have a tight grip on the tool. It could also be connected to a piece of wood. “This is for the first time that evidences of Neolithic period have been obtained in large numbers in the State. Till now, there were only reports of sporadic findings,” said S. Hemachandran, Superintending Archaeologist of the department.

“The department is planning to undertake excavation in the area following the discovery. Megalithic age (Iron Age) succeeds the Neolithic age in Kerala. The discovery of a Neolithic site with a major haul of Celts and other associated finds at Kalady attains significance in this regard,” he said.

“Forty-three Celts weighing between 8.3 kg to 55 gm were discovered from the area. Though the government had agreed to reward Mr. Ali for transferring the Celts to the department, no serious efforts were made for conducting archaeological explorations,” said Don Bosco, a researcher, who first alerted the department about the finds. “There were also reports of sand-miners collecting Celts in large numbers from the Periyar. Most of the finds might have ended up in the antiques market at Mattancherry,” he said. Rajan Chedambath, archaeologist and the director of the Centre for Heritage, Environment and Development, Kochi, said there were only stray reports of Neolithic sites from Kerala so far.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Teachers protest against ‘meagre’ payment for survey
‘Neurology, psychiatry two sides of a coin’
State initiates steps to get back Neolithic artefacts
Charles Dias promises to bring together Anglo-Indian forums
Power regulatory panel to conduct hearing
‘Protect Western Ghats’
Survey: ‘meagre pay’ for teachers
Neurology conference concludes
Housing Board’s project may affect Mangalavanam
Chartered Accountants urged to maintain high ethical standards
Muthoot case: Pinarayi lauds police efforts
In Kochi Today

Copyright © 2009, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu