The discovery of the ancient settlement at Keeladi in Tamil Nadu is much more than an archaeological milestone ~ it is a profound challenge to longstanding narratives about Indian civilisation. As trench after trench yields evidence of a literate, urban society dating back over 2,500 years, the soil of Keeladi appears to be unearthing not just artefacts, but forgotten truths. For over a century, mainstream historical discourse has portrayed Indian civilisation as a northern phenomenon, emerging first through the Indus Valley Civilisation and later through the Vedic culture of the Gangetic plains.

This view, while based on significant finds, has long relegated southern India to a supporting role ~ a region waiting to be “civilised” by Aryan influence from the north. Keeladi destabilises that account by revealing a complex, well-organised settlement in the deep south from the same period. The presence of sophisticated brick structures, planned water systems, and........

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