Tamil Nadu Archaeology Department Tamil Nadu Archaeology Department Tamil Nadu Archaeology Department or Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology is the archaeology department of the Government of Tamil Nadu. Founded in 1961, the department is headed by an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer with the designation Commissioner for Archaeology and conducts archaeological excavations in the state of Tamil Nadu. The department initially functioned from a rented house in Besant Nagar, Chennai. In 2003, it moved to its present premises - a newly constructed building named "Tamil Valarchi Valagam" in Halls Road, Egmore. The department has a library at its headquarters in Chennai with over
Emblem of Tamil Nadu Emblem of Tamil Nadu The Emblem of Tamil Nadu is the official state emblem of Tamil Nadu and is used as the official state symbol of the Government of Tamil Nadu. It consists of the Lion Capital of Ashoka without the bell lotus foundation and flanked on either side by an Indian flag. Behind the capital, is the image of a "gopuram" or temple tower based on the Tower of sri andal temple located at srivilliputtur, Virudhunagar district. The state emblem was designed in 1949 by artist R. Krishna Rao who was a native of Madurai. Krishna Rao was honoured