Recently, archaeological studies at which one among the following revealed that by 1200 BCE there was a flourishing agrarian civilization and the cultivation of rice was well-established at this place ?

Recent archaeological excavations conducted by the Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology at Sivakalai, located in the Thamirabarani river basin, have provided significant evidence of an ancient agrarian civilization. Carbon dating of rice husks found in burial urns at the site, analyzed by a laboratory in Florida, confirmed a date of 1155 BCE [1]. This discovery indicates that a flourishing civilization with well-established rice cultivation existed in the vicinity of the Thamirabarani river approximately 3,200 years ago [1]. Such floral evidence, including charred seeds and phytoliths, is crucial for reconstructing the farming practices of early societies [2]. The findings push back the timeline of organized agrarian life in South India, suggesting that the Thamirabarani civilization was contemporary with the late Vedic period or the transition from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age in the Indian subcontinent.

Sources

1. [1] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 5: Evolution of Society in South India > Porunai: The Cradle of Tamil Civilisation > p. 72
2. [2] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 1: Early India: From the Beginnings to the Indus Civilisation > Sources > p. 1