The members of the Ramanathapuram Archaeological Research Foundation (RARE) have discovered aniron smelting furnace in Srivilliputhur located in Tamil Nadu’s Virudhunagar district which they claim to be 4,000-year-old.

Sharing this information with the media through a Press release, RARE’s President, V. Rajaguru said during their search of the area they found “iron ore, iron slag, black and red potsherds, broken parts of stone hammers, terracotta pipes and sling stone, all of which were scattered in an area of about one acre. These are traces of the Megalithic Age iron smelting furnace.”

On receiving information about the presence of artifacts and historical objects at Kavalthoppu Pechiyamman temple in Venkateswarapuram village near Srivilliputhur, the members of RARE explored this area.

Sharing more details about the Megalithic Age, Rajaguru told India Narrative: “People who lived in the Megalithic Age were familiar with the technology of smelting naturally available iron ores through furnaces and extracting iron. They used iron to make weapons such as knives, axes, spears and agricultural implements. Thus, the Megalithic Age is also called the Iron Age.”

Around the Srivilliputhur region, natural iron ore is found at the foothills of the Western Ghats.

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