Which of the following sites in Tamil Nadu has provided archaeological evidence of iron-smelting furnaces, bead manufacturing, and Roman artifact exchange, signifying a major industrial center of the ancient period?

💡 Solution & Explanation

Kodumanal, located along the Noyyal River valley in Erode district, was a major industrial center known for iron and steel production, semi-precious stone bead making, and graffiti-marked pottery. Arikamedu in Puducherry served primarily as a Roman trading station and glass bead manufacturing site. Uraiyur was the inland capital and cotton textile center of the early Cholas. Korkai was celebrated for its ancient pearl fishery along the southern Pandyan coast.