The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has not requested any “revised report” on the excavation of Kiddi (or Keladi) in Tamil Nadu, the Center on Monday informs Parliament, but the report is “under the review” and according to the suggestions of the experts, the naming of the three Awadhis described in it is required.
Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said that the time of the 8th -5th century BCE for Duration 1 in the report was “not appropriate at all”. He said, “For the earliest period in the current state of our knowledge, we suggest that it is 300 BC in the east.
Kijadi is an ancient site in Sivaganga district of Tamil Nadu, which is about 12 km from Madurai. A decade ago, the then Superintendent of ASI, Archaeologist Amarnath Ramakrishna led the excavation on the site, which detected evidence of a sophisticated urban society.
According to Kizadi’s report, carbon dating revealed objects over the age of 2,160 years, in line with the Sangam era in Tamil history. It classified the history of the site into three periods -pre -granular historical (8th -5th century BCE), mature early historical (5th -1st century BCE) and early historical (first century BC -3th century CE).
The report gave rise to a dispute between the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government and the NDA-Shamed Center, after ASI, which comes under the Union Ministry of Culture, asked Ramakrishna to review his report. DMK saw it as an attempt by the Center to pressurize Ramakrishna to “change” his findings.
DMK MP Sumathi had asked the ministry whether the Kiddi report presented in June 2025 was officially reviewed by the government, seeking details of specific deficiencies quoted by the government or ASI, and is leading towards its rejection.
In his response, Shekhawat said: “Kiddi excavation is organized under the aegis of ASI and a report of the lead archaeologist is being reviewed. The comments of the experts are shared with the lead archaeologist, who still have to be finalized.” However, the minister said, “There is no practice to dismiss a report”.
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In the attachment, which gives details of excerpts from the comments of the experts, on the basis of which Ramakrishna is asked to review the report, Shekhawat said that the “missing details” needs to be re -prepared the village map and the cultural period must be re -presented as specified among other things.
“According to the suggestion of experts: a) Naming of three periods requires changes; b) The bracket given for the duration 1 of the 8th century BCE is not appropriate at all; C) The other two periods should also be determined on the basis of scientific AMS dates. Somewhere there should be somewhere.
On 10 June, Shekhawat had said that further studies were required to validate ASI findings on an ancient civilization in Kejdi.
In response to another question by DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran, the Ministry informed Parliament on Monday that ASI has not requested the Tamil Nadu State Archeology Department for any “revised report” on the site.
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Maran also asked the details of “additional excavation stages and funding support” by ASI for the tenth phase of Kizadi excavation, which began on June 18, 2024, which has already identified “six terracotta pipelines and various urban settlement structures”. For this, Shekhawat replied: “The question does not arise.”
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