At 700 yrs, Katpadi treasure older than thought

CHENNAI: The treasure unearthed in Mudinampattu near Katpadi in Vellore is much older than what was estimated earlier. Experts say it contains artifacts of superior workmanship and could be as much as 700 years old.Experts are closely examining the artifacts to determine if the treasure could have come from the early Vijayanagara period.The treasure trove of jewels, including a thali and bangles belonging to an Amman deity, was deposited in the Chennai Government Museum by K Saravanan, curator of the Vellore Museum, for evaluation and safe custody, on Wednesday.According to sources, experts at the museum examined the 36 different items that fell under 12 categories and concluded that the age of the treasure must be at least 700 years. When it was unearthed, it was estimated that the jewellery could belong to the 18th century.The handmade jewellery that weighed 115 grams is made of 14 carat gold. Prominent among them were Amman thali, beads and ear studs. Using filigree, an ancient art form of making artifacts, several wonderful embellishments have been made in the jewels, reflecting master craftsmanship. However, no specific symbol or inscriptions could be found. The collection also has a single dye struck small gold ornament, which could probably belong to a later period. Asked how it was deduced that the thali and other jewels should have belonged to a deity, an official said that the unusually large size of the thali pottu indicated that it was not intended for use by humans.On the probable reason for burying the jewellery, an expert said it was a common practice during ancient times to bury bronze images and other stone sculptures of deities besides jewellery to prevent them from falling into the hands of invaders.Officials are still studying the jewellery to try and recover more information on its past. A clearer picture could emerge in the coming weeks.