Chennai: On Thursday, local media Dinakaran claimed that an ongoing archaeological dig in Tamil Nadu's Tuticorin district, 623 kilometers from Chennai, uncovered a 2,000-year-old brick structural edifice. Since then, the seven-layer brick structure has piqued the interest of archaeology buffs in the state. Korkai was an old port city that started in the early Pandya kingdom and is mentioned in Sangam literature for its pearl fishing. It is now a small village in the Tuticorin district's Srivaikuntam taluk.

Due to river sedimentation and receding water, it is considered that the ancient city originally located on the banks of the Thamirabarani River extinctup tosix kilometers inland, six kilometers from the sea. Meanwhile, the state archaeological department of Tamil Nadu has also begun excavation operations in three locations across the state, including Korkai. Excavation work began on February 26 after the state government approved a budget of Rs. 29 lakh for the project. At Korkai, archaeologists dug 17 trenches and discovered cast iron, glass beads, and evidence of industrial activity. The seven-layered brick construction, which was recently added, indicates that it was formerly a settlement area of the old civilization. 

The Tamil Nadu government conducted an archaeological study in Korkai and the adjacent areas between 1968 and 1969. The government is proposing excavations for the first time since the archaeology department was established. At Mayiladumparai in Krishnagiri district, where excavation work is presently underway, the department recently uncovered a sword, perhaps dating back to 2,500 years, and a big clay jar that could be a funeral container which was cremated with the dead.

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