The Tamil Nadu Department of Archaeology has unearthed the complete skeletal remains of two Iron Age individuals at Thelunganur, close to Mettur Dam in Salem district. Among the iron objects recovered are a 1.9-metre spear, arrowheads, axes, swords, daggers, knives and nails. An unbroken black-and-red ware bowl bears five graffiti symbols set in a left-to-right sequence, which scholars think could shed light on early writing. The Thelunganur and Mangadu sites are dated to 1600 BCE–1200 BCE, while a sword from Thelunganur has been dated to roughly 1200 BCE.