CITIESDELHI

Published:December3,201408:39IST|Updated:December3,201408:39ISTNEWDELHI,December3,2014

ArtefactsfromthelostPortofMuzirisJAIDEEPDEOBHANJ

TheHInduVisitorsattheUnearthingPattanam:Histories,Cultures,CrossingexhibitionattheNationalMuseum.Photo:S.Subramanium

TheHinduVisitorsattheUnearthingPattanam:Histories,Cultures,CrossingexhibitionattheNationalMuseum.Photo:S.Subramanium

Inanefforttounderstandtheearlyhistoryofourcountrybetter,anexhibitionononeofIndiasmostsignificantarchaeologicalexcavationsUnearthingPattanam:Histories,Cultures,CrossingisonattheNationalMuseumhere.

Thematerialevidenceunearthedattheexcavationsite,locatedabout25kmnorthofKochi,pointstothepossibilitythatPattanammayhavebeenanintegralpartofthelegendaryPortofMuziris.

ThePort,whichfindsamentioninIndianandEuropeanclassicalsourcesandwasthecentreofglobalspicetrademorethan2,000yearsago,mysteriouslydisappearedinthe14thCentury.

Thechronologyofthesitespansthreemillenniafromcirca1,000BCE,withevidenceofhabitationacrosstheIronAge,theEarlyHistoric,MedievalandtheModernculturalperiods.

P.J.Cherian,thecuratoroftheexhibitionandtheheadofthePattanamexcavations,saidevidencefromtheexcavationindicatestheintercontinentalconnectionsIndiahad2,000yearsback.

Thisis15centuriesbeforeVascodaGamaarrivedinIndia,whichmanyconsiderasthebeginningofourcontactwithEurope,headded.

Artefactsunearthedrangefrompotteryandjewellerytocoinsanddocumentsthatshowhowtheregionwasconnectedtootherportsacrosstheworld.Apartfromdisplayingthevariousartefactsthathavebeenunearthed,thereisanaudiovisualpresentationthatshowstheentireprocessofexcavation.Thevideosshowhowmeticulousonehastobeinmaintainingrecordsandhowbrushingandscrapingneedstobedonemuchcareoranartefactmaybedestroyed.

Commentingontheexhibition,MuseumDirectorGeneralVenuVasudevansaid:Theexhibitionissignificant,asontheonehanditgivesanopportunitytotheacademiccommunitytocriticallyexaminewhatisaveryimportantarchaeologicalprojectandontheother,itisalsoalivelywayofshowcasingarchaeologybeforeayoungaudience.

TheexhibitionwillkickstartacriticaldiscussiononarangeoftopicslikethemaritimehistoryoftheIndiansubcontinentandwhathappenedtothemysteriousMuziris,headded.

TheexhibitionhasbeenputtogetherbytheKeralaCouncilofHistoricalResearch(KCHR)attheinitiativeoftheNationalMuseumincollaborationwithSahapedia.

TheexhibitionwillbeontillJanuary10.

Printableversion|Apr22,20154:35:51PM|http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/artefactsfromthelostportofmuziris/article6657446.ece

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