Monograph on Archaeological Excavations in Lower Palar (Kanchipuram in southern part of India)

Book excerpt: Kanchipuram was one of the important and major urban centers in the lower Palar river in south India during the Early Historical period. Now it is a satellite center of Metro Chennai, however, still, the importance of the town has appeared in the form of art and architecture, pilgrimage, education and industries. The archaeological explorations followed by excavations were carried out by the Department of Sanskrit and Indian Culture, Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Viswa Maha Vidyalaya (SCSVMV Deemed to be University), Enathur, Kanchipuram on the northern part of Tamil Nadu under the direction of Prof. S. Rama Krishna Pisipaty, author of the present volume, along with his research scholars from 2000 onwards. This effort revealed that the region to be very prolific and has high potential from an archaeological point of view. The excavator exposed many significant localities in and around the Kanchipuram of different natures such as Stone Age, Early Iron Age Megalithic burials as well as habitations along with iron workshops and also Early Historic period structures, both secular and religious, besides collecting a rich crop of antiquities. The explorations and excavations brought to light that the early human occupation in the lower Palar right from the Early Stone Age and a continuation in human activities have appeared even till now in the region. By the end of the last millennium BCE, the concentration of settlements appeared towards the rivers Vegavati and Palar in the region. Therefore, the entire cultural appendage has been divided into three volumes with different headings, depending upon the nature of assemblage viz. 1. Stone Age 2. Early Iron Age 3. Early Historical period. The present volume no 1 deals with the evidence related to the Early Historical period activities (Late Sangam, pre or early Pallava and during Pallava i.m. a few centuries before starting the present era up to Pallava) in and around the Kanchipuram region, from Sriperambattur taluk on northeastern up to present Palar river bed on the southwestern direction. The richest crop of Inscriptions and Art & Architecture of the Kanchipuram region are not discussed in the monograph which has already been studied and published by many scholars. The present volume is a brief survey of the results of different field seasons explorations and excavations so as to enable the readers to have a bird’s-eye view of the culture, technologies and other aspects relating to the Early Historical period to realize the importance of the region in its proper resemblance.