Documenting the work of Keezhadi labourers
Afew years ago, when the Archaeological Survey of India commenced its excavation work at Keezhadi Village, it created headlines for re-shaping the ancient history of Tamils. From 2020 onwards, artist Saranraj has been photo documenting the work at the site. Now, he is exhibiting the photos at Roja Muthiah Research Library as part of the ongoing Chennai Photo Biennale. “The land belongs to the local communities who have a lot of stories to share about their ancestors and the place. These locals are now working as labourers at the sites. I have been photo-documenting the various stage of the excavation process from 2020 onwards. I have also taken portraits of the labourers. The photo exhibition titled Keeladi is a tribute to the workers as it is a commentary on the blind spots in archeological knowledge. Not just locals, the labour force consists of people from neighbouring villages as well,” says Saranraj.
He divulges details of the excavation process. “The work starts in the morning around 9 with opening and clearing of the pits, digging, checking and cleaning artifacts, documentation and sketching, and by 4 pm, they will close the pits. After that, archeologists will photo document the depth and the quality of the pit excavated on that day with the help of workers. One of the main reasons I am photo-documenting these workers is that they share their experiences and history about the place. The site has drawn global attention, but the work of workers is left out of the mainstream narrative. So, by interacting with locals and labourers, I am documenting their stories and narratives,” he adds.