After Keezhadi excavation site, the State department of Archaeology has found antiquities and structures in Alagankulam, which could go a long way in proving the existence of ancient urban civilisation, industries and trade connections to overseas countries, reported R Siva Kumar of The New Indian Express.

 This site is located on the confluence point of the Vaigai river and the Bay of Bengal in Ramanathapuram district. The archaeology department has carried out eight season of excavations which went on for the last five months and the work was started in May.

TNIE reported that the archaeology department found brick structure and proof of existence of a shell bangle-making industry, iron smelting workshop, terracotta ring well and Roman coins, potteries and a cross-inscribed seal. Moreover, they also discovered a structure made of burnt bricks which shows that the people who lived on this site used such bricks during Sangam period in Tamil Nadu.

The existence of industrial activities can be proven with discoveries like furnace and workshop used for shell bangle making. The cross symbol- inscribed seal and five roman coins which were found has been linked to the Roman empire.

The excavation director J Bhaskar told TNIE that the cross-symbol inscription was an important artefact and it could have been used by Romans who came here for trade. The archaeology department had also excavated Roman potteries.

They also found silver punch-marked coins, ornaments made of terracotta, ivory, copper, gold and fish bone beads and semi-precious stone beads-carnelian, quartz, amethyst and soap stone. The excavators found about 13000 antiquities in the site, reported TNIE.