MADURAI: The Keeladi excavation seems to be heading towards a dead end even after securing sanction for the third phase last month. The superintending archaeologist of Archaeological Survey of India ( ASI ), K Amarnath Ramakrishna , who was in charge of the two earlier excavations at the site, has now been transferred.Carbon dating of the samples collected from the ancient site at Keeladi in Sivaganga district, which is the first evidence of a river-based civilisation in south India, had put its age at 200 BC. It is said that the site could yield information for another 10 years through continuous excavations as over 5,800 artefacts recovered from the site showed that an urban civilisation thrived in this region.Permission for further excavation in the ongoing sites is usually given in October every year. When the ASI did not give permission for the third phase in October 2016, many questioned its motive. Later, political parties and public organisations came out against it. Finally, permission for excavation was granted on February 20 after Amarnath Ramakrishna submitted an interim report on the excavation. Though Rs 50 lakh was sanctioned for the third phase, the sudden transfer of Amarnath to Guwahati in Assam has raised eyebrows.CPM state secretary G Ramakrishnan said that Amarnath’s role in the Keeladi excavation was crucial as he had already spearheaded the first two phases. ``The ASI under the Union government seemed to have some motive in delaying the third phase sanction and we had to get it after a lot of struggle. Now, his transfer seems to be a purposeful move to stall the excavation and the ASI should reconsider his transfer,’’ he said.Writer Su Venkatesan who led the movement to demand the continuous excavation at the site, said that Amarnath’s transfer had come as a shock rather than a surprise. “He should be allowed to continue as the head of this excavation as he has gained a lot of knowledge from the previous two excavations. This seems to be a move to disturb this excavation,’’ he said.