Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Thursday declared to the world that
the iron age began from the Tamil lanscape.
Mr Stalin cited the research findings to declared his historic announcement to the world.
Speaking after laying the foundation stone for the archaeological museums at Keeladi and at Gangaikonda Cholapuram, the erstwhile capital of King Rajendra Chola, besides launching the Keeladi website for the public, and a book on Antiquity of Iron, he said iron age in the world began from the Tamil landscape disproving the previously conceived notions as this region had possessed the technology to segregate iron from ore 5,300 years ago.
According to archaeology research findings and timelines, iron age has been traced back to earlier periods of 4,000 BC.
“We can definitely proclaim and declare that iron age began 5,300 years back in South India, especially in Tamil Nadu”, Mr Stalin said.
Announcing the archaeological research findings in this regard, the Chief Minister said the
samples collected during archaeological excavations were sent to top laboratories in the world, including leading National labs like the Birbal Sahani Archaeology Science Analytic Research Centre in Pune, Physics Resarch Laboratory in Ahmedbad, besides the Beta Research Lab at Florida in US.
He said reports from these three labs labs confirm similar research findings and a further close and deep study of them too revealed similar findings.
Based on the present time period and OSL Dating –OSL (optically stimulated luminescence) dating method exploits dosimetric properties of grains of minerals naturally occurring in sediments and man-made materials–showed the antiquity of iron in South India in 3,345 BC.
“These are the research findings”, he said and released them.
“Those who derided us as lotus eaters are now dumbstruck. For, what we have said so far is not mere literary hyperbole or political rhetoric, but historical records. Now, the excavations carried out by the Archaeological Department have conclusively proved the antiquity of iron in South India, especially in Tamil Nadu. Besides the Beta Analytic in Florida, USA, the laboratories in Pune and Ahmedabad have arrived at the same conclusion: iron was used in the Tamil landscape in 5300 BC,” Mr Stalin said, releasing the book “Antiquity of Iron” brought out by the State Archaeology Department.
“This is the gift of the Tamils to mankind across the whole world and I am proud to announce this. It was the Tamils who introduced the technology to segregate iron from iron ore. I have announced in the state assembly that the excavation at Mayiladumparai in Krishnagiri district clearly showed the use of iron 4200 years ago. Not only archaeologists in the country, even scholars abroad have accepted and have written about this,” the Chief Minister said, adding that the new findings would help strengthen future excavations and studies.
Mr Stalin said the Keeladi excavation near Madurai, has established that the Tamil civilisation had a written script, popular among the common people, as early as 6 BCE. Not only that, it was a highly developed urban civilisation, he explained. Further, paddy was cultivated prior to 3200 BCE on the banks of the Porunai river (Tamiraparani, in south Tamil Nadu), it was pointed out.
“Henceforth, the history of the nation and the sub-continent should be written from Tamil Nadu. The Department of Archaeology continues to dig up evidence for this with new findings. We have to pass on this to our future generations so that they are proud of their heritage,” Stalin said, adding that it is a proud moment for him and the Tamils.
