Human skeletal remains were unearthed from the Kondagai excavation site near Tamil Nadu's Madurai by the State's Department of Archaeology, on Wednesday. The remains have been sent to Madurai Kamaraj University for DNA analysis.
While speaking to , Sivanandham, the Deputy Director of the State Department of Archaeology said that this is the sixth time that skeletal remains were found at the Kondagai excavation site.
"So far six skeletal remains have been found at the Kondagai excavation site. Samples from it were collected and sent to Madurai Kamaraj University for detailed DNA analysis," he said.
All excavation sites were closed on March 24 due to the COVID-19 induced lockdown in the country. Following the relaxation in lockdown norms, the excavation work resumed on May 20.
Earlier on February 19 this year, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E Palswami had started the sixth phase of excavation work at Kondagai, Kizhadee, Agaram, and Manalur near Tiruppuvanam.
Initially, excavations were conducted at only four places including Keeladi, Kondagai, Agaram, and Manalur.
Earlier in October 2019, the State Archeology Department had reportedly unearthed four walls which were 2,600 years old at the Keeladi excavation site in the Sivaganga district in the fifth phase of excavation.
During the excavation in the fifth phase, a variety of materials, including human and mal remains, were discovered at the Keeladi excavation site.
( With inputs from ANI )