Ancient site · Settlement
Keezhadi
Also known as Keeladi
An early town on the Vaigai river near Madurai, Tamil Nadu, found in 2014 and excavated by the Archaeological Survey of India and then the Tamil Nadu archaeology department. Finds include ivory and terracotta dice, figurines, iron tools, punch-marked coins and potsherds scratched with Tamil-Brahmi names.
Tamil Nadu reports radiocarbon dates from the 6th century BCE. The excavator, Amarnath Ramakrishna, argues for the 8th century BCE; in 2025 the ASI asked him to justify this. Some archaeologists doubt the inscribed sherds come from the earliest layers.
- Dates
- 6th century BCE–3rd century CE (radiocarbon); excavator proposes 8th century BCE; ASI questions this
- Still standing
- No, or only traces
- Location
- 9.86° N, 78.18° E
How we know
The town is real and radiocarbon-dated, but how early it began, and whether its inscribed potsherds are as old as the oldest dates, are contested.
Nearby sites
- Sivagalai c. 1200–700 BCE (rice from a burial urn); a claim of iron at 3345 BCE is disputed
- Adichanallur c. 1000–600 BCE (radiocarbon); earlier claims debated
- Kodumanal c. 5th–1st century BCE (dates debated)
- Pattanam c. 3rd century BCE–5th century CE
- Arikamedu 2nd century BCE–7th/8th century CE
- Kumari Kandam (legendary) legendary; no real date