A postgraduate archaeology student from the University of Madras has uncovered stone tools believed to date back to the Middle Palaeolithic period. N. Thilagarajan found these quartz tools during a field survey at Mallankinaru in Virudhunagar district. Experts from the university describe the finds as multidirectional and radial cores, along with flake tools like notches and scrapers. The tools were discovered in a layered section near a waterbody. Jinu Koshy, excavation in-charge of the university's department, said the sediments here were formed by river activity, part of the lower Gundar basin. "Based on a preliminary analysis of the type and shape of the stone tools, they could belong to the Middle Palaeolithic period," he said. J. Soundararajan, head of the department, noted that such stone tools have never been found in this village before. He added, "Further exploration and excavation of the site could lead to the discovery of more artefacts, and detailed scientific analysis would help determine the exact period of the site." This breakthrough adds a fresh chapter to Tamil Nadu's ancient history and opens doors for more archaeological work in the region.