Excavations at Mangudi (An Old and Rare Book)

Mangudi is situated on the banks of river Deviyaru in Tirunelveli District, Tamil Nadu. It is one of the prehistoric places in the south Tamil Nadu selected for the excavation during the year 2001-2002 and it had yielded the Microlithic, Megalithic artefacts belonging to the prehistoric and historic periods.

I wish to thank the Government of Tamil Nadu for sanctioning a sum of Rs.4 lakhs under Part II scheme during 2001-02 towards archaeological excavations at Mangudi in Tirunelveli district and Perur in Coimbatore district (for which a separate report is being brought out). In particular, I would like to thank Thiru P.A.Ramiah, IAS, Secretary to Government, Tamil Development, Culture & Religious Endowments Department, and my predecessor, Dr.R.Kannan, IAS (who was the Commissioner of Archaeology then) for the efforts taken by them to get these projects sanctioned. The credit for the successful completion of the Mangudi excavations must go to Dr.R.Kannan.

My thanks are also due to the individuals and institutions that extended assistance in various ways while conducting the excavation and preparation of the report. The following staff members of this department Thiruvalargal K.Sridharan, S.Senthil Selvakumaran, V. Vedachalam, C.Santhalingam, S.Selvaraj, D. Gopalan and V.Ramamurthy, were directly involved in the excavation and deserve to be commended for their excellent work. Thiru K. Gunasekaran and Thiru K.Olimalik, Thiru.S.Srikumar, assisted in the preparation of the contour survey map and the drawings while Tmt. S. Vasanthi assisted in the preparation and the completion of this report.

Mangudi (9 21 12 N and 77 31' 22 E), a place of prehistoric as well as historic importance, is situated in the Sivagiri firka of Sankarankoil Taluk, Tirunelveli District in Tamil Nadu and about 20 kms south of Rajapalayam town. The village can be reached from Madurai by bus through Thirumangalam, Srivilliputhur and Rajapalayam. It can also be reached from Tirunelveli via Sankarankoil, Karivalamvanthanallur and Perumalpatti. Mangudi is situated on the northern bank of the small river, Deviyaaru, which originates from the Western ghats. Another small stream Koraiyaaru and some jungle streams joins the river Deviyaru. The excavation was carried out in the ancient mounds at Nayakkarpunchai and Lingathidal (Avudaiyapuram) located 2 kms east of Mangudi.

The antiquity of the village may be traced to the Microlithic period. The Microlithc tools and fragments were discovered on the banks of the river Deviyaaru and in the excavation sites. Microliths were also collected in the neighbouring places like Puttur and Manatheri. The Microliths are datable to 4000 BCE. The black and red potteries of early historic period were also unearthed in good numbers at Nayakkarpunchai suggesting the continuous occupation of Mangudi in the early historic period. The Sangam Literature also refers to the existence of an ancient settlement at Mangudi. The Sangam Mangudi Maruthan was obviously a native of Mangudi. He was a highly educated and esteemed poet in the court of the Pandya king, Nedunchezhiyan, who won the battle at Thalaiyalankanam. Hence, we may assume that the village Mangudi was an important settlement of Sangam age.

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