Kozhenchery: The Pamba River banks near Aranmula, where terracotta figurines were unearthed in September, would be excavated in a bid to to trace the history surrounding these artefacts. A project has also been envisaged to build a museum at Aranmula and preserve these artefacts.
These decisions were taken at a high-level meeting chaired by State Museum and Archaeology and Archives Minister Kadanapally Ramachandran on Monday following recommendations by a committee headed by Aranmula MLA Veena George.
A team headed by archaeologist Krishnakumar will undertake more excavation and research work in connection with the terracotta shards which were found, post floods, near to the Anjilimoottil Kadavu Bridge across the Pamba River. An international workshop would also be held to facilitate a detailed study on the figurines, which were probably made between the 10th and 15th century.
A decision was also taken to shift the artefacts, which are currently kept at the state-run Vasthuvidya Gurukulum near here, to a temporary museum under the guidance of Thiruvananthapuram Museum Director. The new museum will be built using the MLA Local Area Development Fund.
The National Centre for Earth Science Studies has indicated the presence of many terracotta figurines at a depth of 1.5 m or more in the area which falls in Pathanamthitta district.
