On July 13, MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Actworkers) in Chengalayi village, Kannur, Kerala, uncovered a pot while digging pits for rainwater harvesting. Initially mistaking it for a crude bomb, their concerns arose from previous incidents in Kannur where abandoned items had unexpectedly exploded upon opening. In a moment of fear, they threw the pot, causing it to break. Instead of explosives, what scattered across the ground were coins and objects resembling gold and silver ornaments. Last week, female workers handed over their find to local panchayat authorities, who subsequently notified the archaeology department.
After examining the items, the state archaeology department confirmed their archaeological significance. E Dineshan, Director of the State Archaeology Department, noted that the most recent coin in the collection was minted in 1826, suggesting that the artifacts could have been buried approximately two centuries ago. The pot contained 13 golden lockets, 17 studs, five lockets, five rings and a bunch of coins, all of them either gold or silver.
Another group of coins falls under the category of Venetian ducats, believed to have been minted in Venice, he explained. These recovered ducats date between 1670 and 1700 and were typically fashioned into chains worn as jewellery.
According to the director, the recovered collection included coins from French India and those used by the Ali Raja of the Arakkal dynasty, a Muslim monarch of the Kannur region who ruled from the 16th to the 19th century.
He mentioned that the Archaeology Department had not previously conducted any study or excavation in the area of Kannur, where these objects were discovered in a pot. However, due to the village’s proximity to a river, the region likely served as a trade hub.
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