Ariyankuppam Archaeological Site

The tropical paradise of Pondicherry is also a dream come true destinations for erudite scholars keen on quenching their intellectual appetite. The union territory that also happened to be an erstwhile French colony is shrouded in age-old history. The Ariyankuppam Archaeological Site, is a historically eminent site that holds a special place in Pondicherry's history.

Guillume Le Gentil, a legendary astronomer happened to visit the tiny coastal union territory of Pondicherry sometime during the period spanning between 1768-1771. During his visit, he chanced upon some dilapidated walls, mound of bricks and the ramshackle relics of some primordial wells in a quaint town called Ariyankuppam, sited at a stone's throw distance of 4 km from Pondicherry. This aroused the inquisitiveness of the speculative mind of the astronomer. His suspicions proved right and archealogical excavations very soon confirmed that the ruins were indubitably the tatterdemalion relics of an ancient village.

The earliest excavation that occurred in the Ariyankuppam Archaeological Site took place way back in the 1940's. A thorough exploration of the northern frontiers of the archaeological site divulged the debris of brick warehouse while the southern region unveiled some ancient courtyards replete with tanks and drains. The remains of several pieces of pottery and other artifacts of Indian as well as Mediterranean origin have also been unearthed by the repeated diggings. Beads, semi precious stones and ancient Roman artifacts including a set of wine and sauce jars that bore telltale symbols of once upon a time beauty have also been found in large numbers.