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The Dig: Keeladi and the Politics of India’s Past
Since its discovery in 2014, the Keeladi excavation has become one of India's most contested digs - hailed by some as proof of an urban civilization in South India and dismissed by others as political mythmaking.
Journalist Sowmiya Ashok traces the serendipitous discovery of this ancient settlement and the political storm it set off.
Her journey takes her from the earliest Iron Age sites in Tamil Nadu to the Harappan site of Rakhigarhi in Haryana and the lost port of Muziris in Kerala. Along the way, she chats with archaeologists while sweating under the scorching sun, clings to rickety platforms at a roaring jallikattu arena, and even tastes ancient pottery at an excavation site.
Blending sharp insight with humour, The Dig reveals how political battles over science and history continue to shape our understanding of India's past.
Journalist Sowmiya Ashok traces the serendipitous discovery of this ancient settlement and the political storm it set off.
Her journey takes her from the earliest Iron Age sites in Tamil Nadu to the Harappan site of Rakhigarhi in Haryana and the lost port of Muziris in Kerala. Along the way, she chats with archaeologists while sweating under the scorching sun, clings to rickety platforms at a roaring jallikattu arena, and even tastes ancient pottery at an excavation site.
Blending sharp insight with humour, The Dig reveals how political battles over science and history continue to shape our understanding of India's past.
355 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 23, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 31, 2025
A lovely journey that’s a mix of personal and collective history, the author peppers the pages with easy humour much like the potsherds scattered across sites. With a writing style that’s easy to read, this book travels physical, temporal, and political landscapes in a way that focuses on the history itself, the discovering of our shared pasts.
The primary site in the book, Keeladi, is prominent in news media and citizen circles, in parliaments and the Tamil diaspora. It has been regularly politicised, with various manipulative narratives in the last few years by regional and central political parties. The hallmark of this book is how deftly and objectively the author presents this politicisation, leaving you wondering about what the actual truth is, what narratives are being fed when and by whom. For instance, we might miss connections or fail to detect patterns because we may be quick to associate Tamil pride with anything we discover. The author reminds us with the book that these discoveries are also about a history that is more than Tamil, beyond the Tamil pride narrative.. the history of human beings, of Indians and our origins.
I like the use of sketches instead of pictures, but I would have liked a map somewhere in the copy, to help locate the reader along the journey.
The primary site in the book, Keeladi, is prominent in news media and citizen circles, in parliaments and the Tamil diaspora. It has been regularly politicised, with various manipulative narratives in the last few years by regional and central political parties. The hallmark of this book is how deftly and objectively the author presents this politicisation, leaving you wondering about what the actual truth is, what narratives are being fed when and by whom. For instance, we might miss connections or fail to detect patterns because we may be quick to associate Tamil pride with anything we discover. The author reminds us with the book that these discoveries are also about a history that is more than Tamil, beyond the Tamil pride narrative.. the history of human beings, of Indians and our origins.
I like the use of sketches instead of pictures, but I would have liked a map somewhere in the copy, to help locate the reader along the journey.
January 4, 2026
Good book, but should have been 30-40 pg shorter.
January 5, 2026
The Dig – Sowmiya Ashok
“A land where the very breath, song and sacrifice of its people have bound to the Tamil Language”.
Everywhere, it’s about Keeladi. The identity of ancient roots just found in the southern region of India. A decade back, this happened. A team was sent to trace the origin of our history from the Stone Age, under the leadership of Amarnath. He was the sole reason for the excavation. And suddenly, they transferred him to somewhere in the northern part of India. You lay the foundation for it, and the Centre can’t digest it anymore. That’s the result for Amarnath. Definitely, it’s political in many ways.
Every detail the author has researched, and the travel over the years, has been beautifully put into the book. More than the political aspect, it’s about ancient history in the soil being covered, and it should be known to everyone. What I loved was her sarcasm along with the story flow. That’s where the book stood out for me. I never felt bored throughout the whole journey along with her travel. She has split the journey into two parts. The first part is about how it started, and the second part is more about archaeological work. It has a beginning, and there is no end — it’s even more about what’s to come.
I even happened to know more than what school books preached to me. One chapter I was completely obsessed with was about DNA; it was purely new to me. Lastly, I watched her interview — it was so good, and I wish it had extended some more. To simply say: a rare book that delivers the important history behind the ancient world underneath. I have shortened myself so that you can read and know Keeladi. Definitely a must -must read from my side.
“A land where the very breath, song and sacrifice of its people have bound to the Tamil Language”.
Everywhere, it’s about Keeladi. The identity of ancient roots just found in the southern region of India. A decade back, this happened. A team was sent to trace the origin of our history from the Stone Age, under the leadership of Amarnath. He was the sole reason for the excavation. And suddenly, they transferred him to somewhere in the northern part of India. You lay the foundation for it, and the Centre can’t digest it anymore. That’s the result for Amarnath. Definitely, it’s political in many ways.
Every detail the author has researched, and the travel over the years, has been beautifully put into the book. More than the political aspect, it’s about ancient history in the soil being covered, and it should be known to everyone. What I loved was her sarcasm along with the story flow. That’s where the book stood out for me. I never felt bored throughout the whole journey along with her travel. She has split the journey into two parts. The first part is about how it started, and the second part is more about archaeological work. It has a beginning, and there is no end — it’s even more about what’s to come.
I even happened to know more than what school books preached to me. One chapter I was completely obsessed with was about DNA; it was purely new to me. Lastly, I watched her interview — it was so good, and I wish it had extended some more. To simply say: a rare book that delivers the important history behind the ancient world underneath. I have shortened myself so that you can read and know Keeladi. Definitely a must -must read from my side.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews