Extensive study of Periyar delta needed to find answers to questions on Muziris, says Dr. Selvakumar

Explore the archaeological site of Pattanam in the Periyar delta to uncover the ancient port of Muziris mysteries.

There is a need to conduct extensive studies in the Periyar delta to have a clearer understanding of the erstwhile port of Muziris and Pattanam, the archaeological site near North Paravur where excavations conducted by the Kerala Council for Historical Research (KCHR) a decade ago threw up artefacts pointing to the existence of a production and trade centre between the first century BC and second century Common Era, Dr. V. Selvakumar, Associate Professor in the Department of Maritime History and Marine Archaeology at Tamil University, Thanjavur, has said.

Delivering a talk on the depictions of ports and settlements of the Chera country in early Tamil — read Sangam — literature at the KCHR site office at Pattanam on June 13 (Thursday), Dr. Selvakumar said such an exploration would be essential to identify the location of Muziris and its linkage with Pattanam. While the Greco-Roman texts gave insights on the early settlements and ports in the Chera country, the Sangam poetry richly described the landscape, weather, and social and political systems in the region. But the exact location of Muziris remained unascertained, as maps such as the Peutinger’s table containing what is believed to be the location of these — for instance, there is Patine marked on the Peutinger’s table, but there is no conclusion as to whether it was Pattanam — could not be taken as accurate. The Periyar delta, which was a dynamic region prone to flooding would have undergone many changes too. Archaeological evidence suggests that the area of Pattanam would have been a marketplace lined with waterways and the like. This could have been part of Muziris. There could be other places in this area where the people lived, Dr. Selvakumar said.

While it could be assumed that the name Pattanam survived the ages, it was necessary to study the later history as well, from the 10th century Common Era up to the 20th century to understand the region. Paravur, the nearby town, is also an old name, and the area could have had settlements too.

As someone associated with the archaeological explorations at Pattanam from the very beginning, Dr. Selvakumar said there was reason to believe that this was an early trade centre because the amount of amphora and material of foreign origin suggest that traders came here, and an exchange took place. They were also fabricating material; there were warehouses to store pepper. There were also quarters for traders from far-off locations to stay and carry out trade.

Dr. Selvakumar said apart from archaeological evidence, a deeper examination of the local history would be beneficial in finding answers to questions pertaining to Pattanam and the port of Muziris.