Overview

• The ASI has directed archaeologist Amarnath Ramakrishna to resubmit his 982-page report on the Keeladi excavations with corrections recommended by two expert reviewers.
• Key revisions include clearer nomenclature for cultural periods, stronger justification for the proposed 8th century BCE timeline, and enhanced documentation such as stratigraphic maps and trench layouts.
• The ASI has questioned the chronology of Keeladi’s earliest period, suggesting it should be dated no earlier than pre-300 BCE based on current knowledge.
• Ramakrishna’s earlier findings, based on AMS-dated artefacts, had proposed a timeline extending back to the 8th century BCE, sparking debates over Tamil Nadu’s ancient urban heritage.
• The ASI’s intervention follows a two-year delay in peer review and has reignited concerns over political bias in archaeological narratives, as Tamil Nadu prepares for the eleventh excavation phase in June.