Chennai: Chennai 2000 Plus Trust and State Department of Archaeology will hold Bruce Foote Memorial Lectures 11 am, 30 May 2019 at Tamil Virtual Academy, Kotturpuram (near Anna Centenary Library).
According to a note from Chennai 2000 Plus trust president R Rangaraj, these lectures will mark the 156th anniversary of the discovery of Asia’s first Paleolithic tools by Foote at Pallavaram and the subsequent discovery of stone axe weapons at Athirampakkam in Tiruvallur district indicating prehistoric activities in Greater Chennai region, particularly along the Kosasthalayar river traversing through Chennai.
Foote’s discoveries of several antiquities marked the beginning of research and archaeological studies and excavations in the Greater Chennai region, says Rangaraj.
Principal Secretary and Commissioner of Archaeology, T. Udhayachandran, will preside over the meeting.
Special lectures will be delivered by Dr Shanti Pappu, secretary, Sharma Centre for Heritage Education, which is undertaking archaeological excavations at Athirampakkam site indicating human activity there from 16 lakh years ago.
Shanti Pappu’s topic is ‘The Relevance of Robert Bruce Foote in Modern Indian Pre-History: Examples from Tamil Nadu’.
Dr C R Gayathri, Assistant Archaeologist, Archaeological Survey of India, delivers lecture on recent significant findings at Pallavaram (in area first discovered by Foote), and Rangaraj on reports of prehistoric activities in Greater Chennai region as indicated by Foote, says the note.
There will also be an exhibition on some of the Foote discoveries at the venue, Tamil Virtual Academy, Kotturpuram, Chennai.
For details, call Rangaraj on 9841010821.