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{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2018}}
{{Short description|Village in India}}
{{Infobox Historic Site
| name = Kodumanal
| native_language = Tamil
| image =
| image_size = 250px
| caption =
| designation1 =
| designation1_date =
| designation1_number =
| designation1_criteria =
| designation1_type = Cultural
| designation1_free1name = State Party
| designation1_free1value = {{IND}}
| designation1_free2name = Region
| designation1_free2value =
| location = [[Erode]], [[Tamil Nadu]], [[India]]
| elevation =
| built =
| architect =
| architecture =
| coordinates = {{coord|11.0125|78.16|display=inline}}
| locmapin = India
| map_caption = Location in Tamil Nadu, India
| visitation_num =
| visitation_year =
}}

'''Kodumanal''' is a village located in the [[Erode district]] in the southern Indian state of [[Tamil Nadu]]. It was once a flourishing ancient trade city known as '''Kodumanam''', as inscribed in ''Patittrupathu'' of [[Sangam Literature]].<ref name="Stone spell">{{cite news|title=Stone spell|url=http://www.hindu.com/mp/2005/03/19/stories/2005031902020100.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060628073912/http://www.hindu.com/mp/2005/03/19/stories/2005031902020100.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=28 June 2006|date=19 March 2005|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|location=India}}</ref> The place is an important archaeological site, under the control of State Archaeological Department of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the northern banks of [[Noyyal River]], a tributary of the Cauvery.<ref>{{cite news|title=Kodumanal likely to get a new lease of life with excavation|url=http://www.hindu.com/2007/04/04/stories/2007040416720300.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080411181522/http://www.hindu.com/2007/04/04/stories/2007040416720300.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 April 2008|date=4 April 2007|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|location=Erode, Tamil Nadu, India}}</ref>

==The ancient city==
The inhabitants of this destroyed ancient city of [[Chera dynasty]] were highly skilled craftsmen, who were specialized in making beads and high-quality iron. The place is referred to in Sangam literature as an important industrial centre that had links with the Chola port city of Kaveripoompattinam, now called [[Poompuhar]].

==Roman trade route==
The city played a major role in [[Indo-Roman trade and relations]], as the ancient city is located on the mid-way of a Roman trade route, linking [[Muziris]] port on the Malabar Coast with the Kaveripoompattinam ([[Puhar, Nagapattinam|Puhar]]) Port in the Coromandel Coast.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110317115357/http://www.hindu.com/2011/03/14/stories/2011031453981800.htm The Hindu - Mar 2011]</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Following the Roman trail|url=http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/mag/2003/08/17/stories/2003081700370800.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040103171541/http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/mag/2003/08/17/stories/2003081700370800.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=3 January 2004|date=17 August 2003|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|location=India}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Kochi/more-studies-needed-at-pattanam/article4743789.ece | location=Chennai, India | work=The Hindu | title='More studies needed at Pattanam' | date=24 May 2013}}</ref>

==Megalithic tombs==
Excavations have been carried out and it came out with the layers of a megalithic-cum-early tombs of historic period. Also there were two female and one male human skeleton were recovered from a pit burial in this site. A set of 300 megalithic tombs of different types and sizes were observed and recorded in this area. The ancient city has been destroyed in time and now the area is available with the remains of a megalithic settlement dating back to the 2nd century BC. Apparently, this was the centre for the Romans who visited to obtain beryls from Kodumanal. The megalithic communities that flourished in this site belong to the period of 2nd century BC to 2nd century AD.<ref name="Stone spell" />

==Iron and metal==
The iron and steel furnaces and iron artefacts produced in these places revealed the technical advancement made by the iron smelters around 500 BC. The excavated sword bit contained spheroidal graphite phase and forge welding of high-carbon cutting edge.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.dli.gov.in/rawdataupload/upload/insa/INSA_1/2000616d_17.pdf |title=Indian Journal of History & Science,37.1,2002,17-29 (through "Digital Library of India") |access-date=24 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425052001/http://www.dli.gov.in/rawdataupload/upload/insa/INSA_1/2000616d_17.pdf |archive-date=25 April 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>[http://www.dli.gov.in/rawdataupload/upload/insa/INSA_1/20005b66_263.pdf Indian Journal of History & Science,34(4),1999 (through "Digital Library of India")] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923215550/http://www.dli.gov.in/rawdataupload/upload/insa/INSA_1/20005b66_263.pdf |date=2015-09-23 }}</ref> This place was once celebrated for its trade in precious stones like garnet, carnelian, [[lapis lazuli]], sapphire and quartz. The people of this city were experts in manufacturing the finest iron.

==Collections==
Excavations uncovered ancient iron objects such as arrow heads and swords.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/excavations-at-kodumanal-village-unearth-more-ancient-objects/article23833896.ece|title=Excavations at Kodumanal village unearth more ancient objects|date=2018-05-10|work=The Hindu|access-date=2019-06-24|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> They also produced Roman artefacts, iron melting furnaces, beads, shell bangles and pottery with the Tamizhi scripts (from the habitation deposits and burials). Other artifacts uncovered during the excavation of this site include roulette pottery, Roman silver coins, and gold and silver spirals. A bronze statue of a lion and the iron melting furnaces were important to deciphering the site's history.<ref>{{cite news|title=A great past in bright colours |url=http://www.frontlineonnet.com/fl2720/stories/20101008272006400.htm |newspaper=Frontline |date=8 October 2010 |location=India |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110203113057/http://frontlineonnet.com/fl2720/stories/20101008272006400.htm |archive-date= 3 February 2011 }}</ref><ref>http://www.flonnet.com/stories/20120810291506200.htm{{Dead link|date=February 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rediff.com/business/slide-show/slide-show-1-big-discovery-a-2500-year-old-industrial-estate/20120612.htm|title=BIG discovery: A 2,500-year-old industrial estate!|website=Rediff|access-date=2019-06-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/history-and-culture/kodumanal-excavation-yields-a-bonanza-again/article3463120.ece | location=Chennai, India | work=The Hindu | first=T. S. | last=Subramanian | title=Kodumanal excavation yields a bonanza again | date=28 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.tnarch.gov.in/excavation/kod.htm|title=KODUMANAL ERODE EXCAVATION|website=www.tnarch.gov.in|access-date=2016-05-07}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==

* {{cite book | last=Singh | first=U. | title=A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century | publisher=Pearson Education | series=Always learning | year=2008 | isbn=978-81-317-1120-0 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H3lUIIYxWkEC&pg=PA402 | access-date=2021-02-19}}
* {{cite book | last=Francis | first=P. | title=Asia's Maritime Bead Trade: 300 B.C. to the Present | publisher=University of Hawai'i Press | year=2002 | isbn=978-0-8248-2332-0 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zzZBdGQN_TIC&pg=PA122 | access-date=2021-02-19}}
* http://kodumanal.blogspot.com/2008/07/genesis-of-ukku-insights-from.html
* http://kodumanal.blogspot.com/2008/07/anchor.html
* https://web.archive.org/web/20060321084351/http://www.thebeadsite.com/UNI-MAPS.html
* http://www.krepublishers.com/02-Journals/T-Anth/Anth-06-0-000-000-2004-Web/Anth-06-2-091-157-2004-Abst-PDF/Anth-06-2-105-112-2004-Reddy-V-R/Anth-06-2-105-112-2004-Reddy-V-R.pdf
* https://web.archive.org/web/20110721154746/http://www.new.dli.ernet.in/rawdataupload/upload/insa/INSA_1/2000c951-385.pdf
* http://www.thehindu.com/arts/history-and-culture/article3465932.ece
{{Erode district}}

[[Category:Villages in Erode district]]
[[Category:History of Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Tamil history]]
[[Category:Ancient Indian cities]]
[[Category:Former populated places in India]]
[[Category:Archaeological sites in Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Sangam period]]

Kodumanal - Revision history

CleanupBot II at 09:01, 14 August 2023