Shekhawat casts doubt on Keezhadi excavation report

WADING into the controversy over the Archaeological Survey of India's (ASI) letter to archaeologist K Amarnath Ramakrishna late last month that requested him to rework certain aspects of his report on Keezhadi excavation, Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat told reporters on Tuesday that the report was neither scientific nor technically well-supported.

- T MURUGANANDHAM @ Chennai

The findings from the archaeologist's digs in 2014-16, detailed in a report submitted in 2023, created a lot of interest in Tamil Nadu as it provided evidence to indicate that the Sangam Age could be pushed back to 800 BCE, around 300-500 years older than what was earlier thought. Speaking to reporters in Chennai, Shekhawat added that there was a need to be cautious since some people are using these findings to fuel "regional sentiments".