❖ Archaeologists have unearthed a potsherd with Tamil letter ‘Tha’ inscribed on it from Keeladi, Sivagangai District.

❖ It is a Sangam-era urban settlement site on the banks of River Vaigai in Madurai.

❖ This is the first recovery of Tamili (Tamil-Brahmi) inscribed potsherd in the 10th season of digging

❖ Keeladi is 12 km southeast of Madurai where excavations first began in 2014.

❖ This site has borne enough evidence of an urban industrialised settlement, with carbon-dating of artefacts from the site establishing its age to be 2,600 years old.