‘Burial sites are being excavated instead of habitation sites’

Explore Tamil Nadu's rich cultural heritage with Prof. R. Venkataraman Memorial Lecture Series 2024 by FoHS Pandyas.

The Friends of Heritage Sites along with FoHS Pandyas on Saturday organised Prof. R. Venkataraman Memorial Lecture Series 2024 in memory of the historian, dedicated to explore the rich cultural heritage and historical developments of Tamil Nadu.

Renowned epigraphist V. Vedachalam, Superintending Archaeologist with Archaeological Survey of India K. Amarnath Ramakrishna and Professor at Tamil University, Thanjavur, V. Selvakumar, recollected their association with Prof. Venkataraman in their special lectures.

The theme was ‘Cultural Formation, Urbanisation, and Water Management in Late Prehistoric and Historical Tamil Nadu’.

Delivering a lecture on ‘Understanding of Urban Culture from Keeladi Excavation in Tamil Nadu’, Mr. Ramakrishna said that burial sites were being excavated instead of habitation sites. More habitation sites should be excavated. Correlational study should be conducted to understand how rural and urban centres emerged, he said.

Mr. Vedachalam delivered a lecture on ‘Ancient Irrigation Systems in Pandya Country’. He said that irrigation was important for the economic development. He spoke on how the southern region had developed the techniques and was strong. He pointed out that tank irrigation was developed first which was rain-fed and then water from the rivers was utilised for irrigation.

Mr. Selvakumar, delivering a lecture on ‘Neolithic and Iron Age Social Formations in Tamil Nadu,’ said that the evidence of cultural development could be traced back to the Mesolithic period.

Full fledged settlement and use of metal emerged during the Iron age. More research was necessary. Culture within Tamil Nadu should be researched and more sites should be excavated, he said, adding that scientific research was essential.