The departments have joined hands not only to interpret the manuscripts belonging to the 11-18th century, but also to conserve the rare documents of significant historical value. Apart from the palm leaf manuscripts, bundles of rare documents, bills and books were recovered from the temple premises.

‘‘All these documents are of immense historical value as they can throw light on the social history of the region during the British and pre-British regime,’’ said P. Sivadasan, head of department of history, Calicut University.

Historians who gathered at the temple as part of a three-day workshop on conservation of the documents said the manuscripts and other documents would have the potential for a re-reading of Kerala’s social history. ‘‘We have rare documents mentioning a lot about Tipu Sultan’s expeditions,’’ said Dr. Sivadasan.

Inaugurating the workshop, Calicut University Vice Chancellor K. Mohammed Basheer read out a few lines from an 1892 diary of Sankaran Namboothiri, a radical Brahmin who challenged the orthodoxy. The diary found from the temple storehouse, along with several others, was a reflection of the period the Namboothiri lived.

Archives Department Director J. Rejikumar and Archaeology Department Director G. Premkumar said that Karikkad, a well-known Namboothiri settlement in Kerala, would get the historical significance it deserved. It would be protected, they said.

The team of historians and researchers will prepare an index of the documents found at Karikkad and will script eight papers in the next two days. ‘‘We are encouraging our students to depend on the primary source of information to interpret history,’’ Dr. Sivadasan said.

He said that when professionals handle the documents and artefacts from yesteryear, the results would be fruitful and rich.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Kerala / by Abdul Latheef Naha / Malappuram – March 12th, 2016

Several reasons have been cited to make this possible, particularly the enthusiasm shown by a young archaeological-anthropologist N.K. Ramesh, who is a senior assistant, Museum Project, Cultural Heritage Department of Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University at Tirur.

He has been credited with the discoveries of many Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, Megalithic, and Neolithic tools and several Megalithic sites in North Kerala. Findings such as the typical Palaeolithic hand axe from Vanimel river basin (Kozhikode) and pointed choppers and side scarpers from Anakkayam and Cheerkkayam river basin of Chandragiri (Kasaragod) are some of the first-time evidence of Palaeolithic implements in these districts. This revealed that hand-axe fabrication technique in quartz raw material was also familiar among the prehistoric man in north Kerala. “In fact, archaeologist Killingworth Richard Utten Todd (KRU Todd) had discovered Mesolithic tools from Chevayur (Kozhikode), perhaps the first Stone Age evidence in Kerala during 1930-35.

But detailed studies then failed to take off,” says P. Rajendran, archaeologist, whose works since 1974 brought to light rich Palaeolithic evidence of myriad cultures in Kerala.

Giving the lie to Foote’s view

Dr. Rajendran said that Foote had argued that Kerala was unsuitable for prehistoric habitation citing primary causes such as the absence of quartzite raw material, thick forest and heavy rainfall in the State. “Today the situation is different with more people coming to the forefront in archaeology. But only a few succeed in identifying the implements of the prehistoric era,” he says.

Mr. Ramesh, who does research under Dr. Rajendran’s guidance, has discovered Mesolithic tools from Panom forest region, which lies 1,500 feet, above sea level, bordering Kozhikode-Wayanad districts. “It is a Mesolithic factory site as waste material and hammer stone were discovered near a stream inside the forest,” he said.

He has been certified for the discoveries of Megalithic sites at Valayam, Varikkoli, Chekkad, Kuitheri, Ummathur, Perumundacheri, Mullankunnu, Pannimukku, and Muippra. The evidence include black and red ware, eagle head-like figures made of clay, iron chopper and dagger, black ware, smoke pipe, iron knife, iron sickle and several iron ingots.

The well-polished symmetrical shaped Stone Adzes made of quartz showed the high expertise in quartz fabrication of Neolithic people in Kozhikode, Mr. Ramesh said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kozhikode / by Biju Govind / Kozhikode – March 08th, 2016