Excavation also brings to light social customs, architectural acumen of the period
Unearthing facts: T.S. Sridhar, Principal Secretary and Commissioner of Archaeology, inspecting an artefact at Utkottai, a Chola village near Jayamkondam, in Ariyalur district on Friday.
ARIYALUR: The excavation currently in progress at Utkottai, an ancient village near Gangaikondacholapuram in the district, has unravelled several interesting and historical facts, faith and social customs, architectural acumen and also trade and commercial contact between the Chola and Chinese dynasties.
The excavation by the State Department of Archaeology last month has so far been carried out only up to a little distance of five metres at the site. The programme is being executed with due care to conservation of the original structure and without causing any damage to findings unearthed. Every collection culled out speaks volumes of the the hoary past of Rajendra Chola.
According to official sources, the Chola ruler had built the fortification wall, using well-levitated clayey soil as binding material. The fortification wall is 2.5 metre in thickness and the traces of the wall suggest its location on the east-west direction from village up to Gedarankondan village. It was has been built using laterite stones. The walls of the palace of Rajendra Chola were constructed with bricks. "The ancient ruler had adopted `header and structure' technique for ensuring the stability of the palace structure," says the official.
The `header and structure' involves arrangement of bricks in alternate vertical and horizontal alignment. The collection of broken pieces of highly-glazed porcelain table wares including cups, bowls and plates testify to the trade and commercial contact between the Chola and the Chinese Tsung Di dynasties in this part of the State during the 11th and 12th centuries. The ASI also unearthed terracotta collections.
The Commissioner and Special Secretary to the Department of Archaeology, T.S. Sridhar, inspected the work on excavation in the village recently.
He said the excavation had just commenced and steps would be taken to sensitise the villagers to the values of these collections.
Ariyalur District Collector Anil Meshram was among those who were present.