Thanks for highlighting on the recent discoveries of an Administration Building and Iron Smelter by the Archaeological team lead by Professor Mokhtar Saidin in two palm oil plantations in northern Kedah state last month, who has said that the buildings found at the Site indicate it was part of the ancient Hindu kingdom of Bujang.
As per your advises, "Mr Mokhtar have also said the 'Iron Smelter' was a surprise find as it showed that such an early civilisation - was already quite advanced technologically".
My comments in connection with the above is as follows :
(1) The famed - ancient city of "Kadaram" was located at the Bujang Valley region of the present Kedah state in Malaysia. This was one of the regions where many Traders from Tamil Nadu flocked from the period of Pallava kings of Tamil Nadu. The Kadaram of Malaysia was known to the medieval Arab Merchants as "Kalah" and Sri Vijaya of Sumatra as "Sri Buza".
During the period of Emperor Rajaraja Chola - 1 it appears there would have been already a sizable number of Traders from the Chola country and the other regions of Tamil Nadu (India) present in the Kadaram (Bujang Valley) region, along with a garrison of Chola Forces to safeguard the interests of these Traders.
It appears in between the years A.D.1002 and A.D.1005, Emperor Chulamanivarman of Sri Vijaya Empire in Sumatra, Indonesia who was also the "overlord king" of Kadarem, probably was assisted by this garrison of Chola Forces stationed already at Kadarem to suppress a revolt by the native king of Kadarem, against their overlord the Emperor Chulamanivarman of Sri Vijaya in Sumatra, Indonesia. This possibly made Rajaraja - 1 to claim his victory over Katakas - as seen from the Sanskrit portion of "Essaalam Copper Plates".(Note: Kadaram was known as Kataka in Sanskrit - Refer also the Aanaimangalam Copper Plates)
This could have been the beginning of the good diplomatic relations between the Chola empire and the Sri Vijaya empire with the Emperor Chulamanivarman requesting land from Emperor Rajaraja Chola - 1 in A.D.1006 to build a Buddhist Temple at Nagapattinam the seaport city of Cholas for the benefit of the Sri Vijaya & Kadarem Traders trading at this city. This gesture would have been reciprocated by the Sri Vijaya Emperor to the Chola Traders, and possibly the foundations of a Siva Temple discovered at Bujang valley hill (closer to Bujang Valley Archaeological Museum) could be (to be verified)one such temple.
The finding of the "Iron Smelter" at Bujang Valley region is not a surprise, as the Tamil Literary work known as "Perumkathai" composed by Konguvelir (a lesser king from a Velir sect of Kongunadu of Tamil Nadu)around 11th century A.D. - mentions of "Iron from Kadaram" (Kadaraththu Irumbu)as among the Items from countries overseas and Indian mainland - "which he knew of" during his period of eleventh century when he composed the Literary Work "Perumkathai".
The Administration Building "could be" one belonging to this period, or earlier period when Pallava kings were the contemporary kings in Tamil Nadu which need further study.
Also please note the period of composition of Perumkathai as determined by others as eleventh century - happens to be the period of capture of the Magadha kingdom by Rajaraja Chola - 1 as gleaned from Chola Copper Plates which is as follows:
ola - 1 captured Magadha among others.
The references to the regions captured by Rajaraja Chola - 1 in Karandai Thamil Sangam Plates are given as follows: ".....Magadharkalaiyum.....thoal valiyaal, poril ventru (won in warfare), avarkaludaiya, yaanaikalaiyum, kuthiraikalaiyum, naadukalaiyum, irraththinangalaiyum, selvangalaiyum, kaippatrinaan ."
Now on investigating the contents of the Essaalam Copper Plates we have the list of countries conquered by Rajaraja Chola - 1 stated as follows:
" Arumolivarman who with his long and beautiful arms (that) bored the marks of sankhu andchakra in his palms. He conquered the.... Magadhas.....Andhras, Rattas, Oddas, "Katakas", Keralas, Gaudas and Pandiyas.
ajaraja Chola 1.
Now we find an interesting information from Perumkathai which states in it's chapter titled Magadha kaandam as follows - while it describes the Cheris(means - collective settlements in Tamil):
As others have determined the period of Perumkathai as eleventh century, and as we find this happens to be the period the Rajaraja Chola conquest of Magadha country, the "thalaiperom chenai" possibly refers to the "principal large Chola garrison" stationed at Magadha country by Rajaraja Chola - 1 after it's capture. If this inference is further proved correct, then the date of Perumkathai is further confirmed as eleventh century.
As the author of Perumkathai of this period knew of Kadaraththu Irumbu, we can conclude Iron Smelter found in Kedah state could belong to a period when the contemporary Tamil Nadu was ruled by the Cholas or little early during the period of Pallavas.