Archive · 28 Jan 2026
8-foot Iron Age spear found in Tamil Nadu burial site
Archaeologists in Tamil Nadu found a very old and big iron spear that is 8 feet long.
This spear is from a time called the Iron Age, around 3,345 years before today.
They found it in a burial site, and it was in really good condition.
There was also another spear and some gold objects in an urn.
The way the spears were placed suggests they had a special meaning.
This discovery helps us learn more about how people made things and lived a long time ago.
Scientists are studying it to understand more about the past.
An 8-foot-long Iron Age iron spear was discovered in a burial site in Thirumalapuram, near Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu.
The spear dates back to around 3,345 BCE and is the longest Iron Age iron spear ever found in India.
The spear was found in unusually good condition, preserved by the dry soil of Tamil Nadu.
Alongside the main spear, a second spear measuring 6.5 feet and an urn containing gold objects were also discovered.
The spears were arranged in an X-shaped formation, suggesting a ritual placement and possible multiple roles in Iron Age communities.
- Who
- Archaeologists in Tamil Nadu
- What
- Discovered an 8-foot-long Iron Age iron spear
- When
- 2026
- Where
- Thirumalapuram, near Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu
- Why
- To expand understanding of prehistoric metalworking techniques and social hierarchies
- Length of the spear
- 8 feet
- Location
- Thirumalapuram, near Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu
- Date of discovery
- 2026
- Date of spear
- 3345 BCE
- Preservation condition
- Unusually good
- Research partners
- Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology and IIT Gandhinagar
- Research duration
- Until 2028