2,000-Year-Old Terracotta Pipelines Uncovered in Southern India

MADURAI, INDIA—According to a report in The Hindu, two terracotta pipelines placed one on top of the other have been uncovered at Keeladi, an archaeological site located on the banks of the Vaigai River in southern India’s state of Tamil Nadu. Brick structures, tubs, and an open water channel were uncovered near the pipelines and may have been connected to them. R. Sivanandam of the Archaeological Survey of India said the ten sections of the upper pipeline were firmly fitted together, and may have carried protected water in the settlement, which was inhabited by the people of the Tamil culture between the fifth century B.C. and the third century A.D. Rims on the pipes gave this pipeline a spiral shape, he added. The lower pipeline, made up of three long, barrel-shaped terracotta tubes, is thought to have served a different purpose than the upper pipeline. Its mouth had been fitted with a dish-shaped perforated lid that may have filtered water or other liquid. “Apart from this, it could also be surmised that the lid could have been used to prevent reptiles entering the premises through the pipes,” Sivanandam explained. To read about recent excavations at a temple complex in Tamil Nadu, go to "India's Temple Island."