Muziris, known as 'Vanchi' to locals[1], is located about 27km from Kochi(Kerala), the south western state of India. It was famous as a major port for trade and commerce for more than 2,500 years. Muziris became of interest to classical authors because of the Romans' interest in trading, and their desire to have contact with regions beyond the reach of easy conquest and they set up trading routes with these places. Merchants from a number of cultures are believed to have operated in the port, and there are numerous Indian finds from the time as well as Roman ones.
Muchiri or Muziris was also known in ancient times as Mahodayapuram, Shinkli or Muyirikkodu. Currently the location is around the place called Pattanam, a village inErnakulam district. There has always been a lot of confusion about the exact location of the port, as also about other aspects of it. For long it was considered to beKodungalloor. However, in 1983, a large hoard of Roman coins was found at a site around six miles from a place called Pattanam, North Paravur some distance away fromKodungalloor. Excavations carried out from 2004 to 2009 at Pattanam has revealed evidence the exact position of Muziris.[1][2][3][4].
The recent archaeological work done in the area has revealed fragments of imported Roman amphora, mainly used for transporting wine and olive oil, Yemeni and West Asian pottery, besides Indian roulette ware (which is also common on the East Coast of India, and also found in Berenice in Egypt).[1][2][3][4] This suggests that Muziris was a port of great international fame and that South India was involved in active trade with several civilizations of West Asia, the Near East andEurope with the port as a means to do so.
While there is a consensus on that both the port and the city ceased to exist around the middle of the 13th century CE, possibly following an earthquake (or the great flood of 1341 recorded in history, which caused the change of course of Periyar river), but there does not seem to be clear evidence as to when the port might have first come into being. Presently, researchers seem to be agreed on that the port was already a bustling center of trade by 500 BCE, and there is some evidence that suggests that Muziris was a city, even if not certainly a port as well, from before 1500 BCE.[5][6][7][8] It is worth noting that Muziris is also referred to as Murachipattanam in Valmiki's Ramayana as well as Vyasa's Mahabharata, as Muchiri inTamil Sangam's literature, and as Muzirikode in the Jewish Copper Plate of Bhaskara Ravi Varma (around 1000 AD).[9][10] Among foreign references, Muziris also finds mention in the First Century Natural Historyof Pliny the Elder, the Second Century Geographia of Ptolemy, the Second Century Muziris Papyrus (p. Vindob G480822), and the Fourth Century Tabula Peutingeriana.
A few traditional scholars also identify Muziris with the town of Musiri, located upstream on the Kaveri river, near Karur, the ancient capital city of the Cheras, in present-day Tamil Nadu state.[citation needed]According to the first century Periplus of the Erythrean Sea, the distance between Musiris and the sea was only some 120 stadia (31 km).[11]
Pliny the Elder (c. 77 CE) refers to many Tamil ports in his work The Natural History. ThePeriplus of the Erythraean Sea (c. 60–100 CE) gives an elaborate description of the Tamil country and describes the riches of a Pandian Kingdom:
"...then come Naura and Tyndis, the first markets of Damirica (Limyrike), and then Muziris and Nelcynda, which are now of leading importance. Tyndis is of the Kingdom of Cerobothra; it is a village in plain sight by the sea. Muziris, of the same Kingdom, abounds in ships sent there with cargoes from Arabia, and by the Greeks; it is located on a river, distant from Tyndis by river and sea five hundred stadia, and up the river from the shore twenty stadia...Nelcynda is distant from Muziris by river and sea about five hundred stadia, and is of another Kingdom, the Pandian. This place also is situated on a river, about one hundred and twenty stadia from the sea..."
Project Muziris Heritage
The project was launched by the Department of Cultural Affairs, Govt of Kerala. It aims at retrieving the historical heritage of the N.Paravur-Kodungallur region and plans a combination of heritage management initiatives in its restoration, conservation and access to the public. KCHR, identified as the nodal agency for Muziris Heritage Project provides academic guidance and undertakes archaeological / historical research in the region. KCHR Chairman Dr. K. N. Panikkar submitted a concept note on Muziris Heritage Project pointing out the possibilities and potential of the proposal.[12]
Pattanam is a small village, eight km south of Kodungallur and twenty-five km north of Kochi in Ernakulam District in the southern Indian state of Kerala in the Chittattukara Panchayat on the northern shore of Paravur thodu, a branch of Periyar River. Recent archaeological excavations indicate that this village site could be part of the ancient and long lost port city of Muziris, which is referred to by Greek-Latin and Indian classical sources as far back as 2000 years ago. It is now believed that the name Pattanam (which is derived from prakrit meaning port or commercial centre) is the abbreviation of what was originally Musiripattanam, the local name of Muziris.
[edit]Archaeological excavations
The site for archaeological research at Pattanam (10°09.434’N; 76°12.587’E) covers about 45 hectares. Due to habitation activities it is a “disturbed” site; some parts are partially destroyed due to sand quarrying. The site seems to have been first occupied by indigenous population around 1000 BC and continued to be active till the 10th century AD. The AMS 14C analysis of the charcoal and wood samples from the Iron Age layer and wharf contexts have determined their antiquity as first millennium BC.
The multi-disciplinary and multi-seasonal archaeological research at Pattanam from 2007 undertaken by the Kerala Council for Historical Research (KCHR) is a pioneering initiative in the history of Kerala Archaeology. British Academy (BASAS) recently accorded recognition for the formation of an international research group based on Pattanam. [13]
The archaeological excavations have unearthed signs of early Roman trade and commerce in beads and ornaments from this hamlet. indicating this hamlet was part of Muziris which flourished during the reign of First Chera dynasty of South India.
Excavated antiquities include Chera coins, Amphora, Terra Sigillatta, Cameo Blanks made of semi-precious stones and stone and glass beads in large quantity. Remains of brick structures made of burned bricks were also found there.A wharf context with a six m dug out canoe made of anjili wood and bollards made of teak wood and a large quantity of botanical remains were found.
[edit]Excavations 2007-2009
These three seasons produced the largest number of Mediterranean amphora fragments excavated outside the boundaries of the Roman Empire
[edit]Excavations 2010
Findings: Antiquities of small size - beads of both semi-precious stones and glass, pendants or lockets[14] cameo blanks, coins, (predominantly early Chera coins, with symbols of elephant, bow and arrow) objects or fragments of objects made of iron, copper, lead and rarely gold, and sherds of Indian and foreign pottery. A broken rim with Brahmi script. This is the first pre-firing pottery inscription finding at Pattanam. Enormous quantity of local pottery of the early Historic Period, which is dated between first century BC and fourth century AD, showing that this was the peak activity stage of Pattanam.
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