The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on Monday informed the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court that samples excavated from the Adichanallur site in Thoothukudi have been sent for carbon dating to laboratories in the U.S. and New Delhi and the results would be available in a month’s time.

Following the direction of the High Court Bench, the samples excavated from the site in Thoothukudi in 2004 were sent to determine their age. B. Sathyabama, former Regional Director, ASI (South), now with the Delhi Circle, informed the court that the compilation of the report on the excavations was under way.

Taking into account the submissions made in the case, a Division Bench of Justices N. Kirubakaran and S.S. Sundar directed the ASI to also take into account the report compiled by T. Satyamurthy, former Superintending Archaeologist, ASI, who led the excavation in 2004, so that a comprehensive report on the excavations could be compiled. Both B. Sathyabama and T. Satyamurthy were before the court. Following the submissions, it dispensed with their appearance.
Number of vacancies

The court was also informed of the vacancies to key positions in the ASI and the Tamil Nadu Department of Archaeology. After it was informed that up to 25 out of the 35 posts were lying vacant in the State Department, the court sought a detailed report from the department on the number of vacancies in key posts.

As the carbon dating test results would be available only after a month, the hearing on the results was adjourned to April 2.

However, as the court wanted to know the vacancies to the key posts on an earlier date, the report was sought by March 11, until when the case was adjourned.

The court was hearing the public interest litigation petition filed by S. Kamaraj of Thoothukudi.