New find at TN's Keeladi: Archaeologists discover crystal quartz weighing unit
- Recently, the archaeologists working at Keeladi, a historic excavation site located 12 km southeast of Madurai in Tamil Nadu, have unearthed a crystal quartz weighing unit from the Sangam era.
History of Weighing Units
- Weighing units in the past were primarily made of stones.
- These were not rock-made but made of minerals
- Crystals or mineral materials were used as weighing units because they give accurate results and do not depend on the climate.
- Purpose: Weighing high-value items such as gold, precious and semi-precious stones.
Crystal Quartz Weighing Unit
- Unique in design, the crystal unit has a somewhat spherical shape.
- It measures 2 cm in diameter,1.5 cm in height and weighs a mere 8 grams.
- It might have originated in the Kangayam area (near Coimbatore).
- The quartz is probably from a period between 600 BC to 2nd century AD.
- There are also studies about the availability of crystal quartz in Karur region
Other Findings
- A terracotta hopscotch
- An iron nail
- Black and red ware
- Red slipped ware
- An earthen snake figurine
Sangam Age
- The period roughly between the 3rd century B.C. and 3rd century A.D. in South India (the area lying to the south of river Krishna and Tungabhadra)
- Named after the Sangam academies held during that period that flourished under the royal patronage of the Pandya kings of Madurai.
- South India, during the Sangam Age, was ruled by three dynasties-the Cheras, Cholas and Pandyas.
- The main source of information about these kingdoms is traced from the literary references of Sangam Period.
- According to the Tamil legends, there were three Sangams (Academy of Tamil poets) held in the ancient South India popularly called Muchchangam.
- Sangam literature: Tolkappiyam, Ettutogai, Pattuppattu, Pathinenkilkanakku, and two epics named Silappathikaram and Manimegalai.
Prelims Takeaway
- Sangam Age
- Archaeological Survey of India
- Location related Questions