Two kilometres off Tamil Nadu’s coast, a lost world emerges from the sea

About 2 kilometres offshore from the Tamil Nadu coastline, an undersea expedition has unearthed fragments of ancient pottery originating from West Asia. These pieces were discovered submerged at depths of 10-12 metres during the third stage of the underwater archaeological survey off the ancient port town of Poompuhar. The fragments were found approximately 1.8 to 2.2 kilometres from the current shoreline.

These findings offer valuable insights into the maritime trade conducted by the inhabitants of Poompuhar, as described in Tamil literature dating back nearly two millennia. K Rajan, the Academic Advisor to the Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology, emphasized the significance of these discoveries in understanding the city's vibrant trade relations with distant lands.

The underwater exploration, a part of a larger project by the Tamil Nadu government in collaboration with the Indian Maritime University, aims to map the ancient port, locate shipwrecks, and study the impact of changing sea levels and coastal erosion. The third phase of the exploration, which yielded the latest pottery fragments, is only a fraction of the total underwater survey conducted so far.

Experts from international institutions, including those in Italy, have been consulted for further analysis and identification of the artifacts. Despite the fragments' potential dating to the Early Historic period, archaeologists are still working to assign a precise date to them. Established as a major port in the region, Poompuhar's ruins still contain remnants of its past, such as the remains of a Buddhist vihara, while the underwater excavation continues to uncover more evidence of the city's maritime connections and cosmopolitan character.