ASI to play a crucial role in Muziris excavations

Field research to resume once COVID situation is under control

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will be a prominent partner in the 11th season of excavations at the Pattanam and Mathilakam villages located in Ernakulam and Thrissur districts. The excavations are being spearheaded by PAMA Institute for the Advancement of Transdisciplinary Archaeological Sciences, a non-profit research organisation. The ASI has named K.P. Mohandas, head of its Thrissur Circle; Linto Alappat, head of Geology Department, Christ College, Irinjalakuda; Rajesh C.V. and Abhayan G., faculty, Department of Archaeology, Kerala University; Veenus Jain, head of History, Amity University; and Deepak P., faculty, Department of Computer Science, Queen’s University, Belfast; as co-directors of the project. The Pattanam excavations, launched in 2006-07, resumed in January 2020 after a five-year hiatus. A main objective of the Muziris research project is to gather evidence and analyse ancient India’s trade and cultural transactions from the coast of Gujarat to Bengal and beyond. So far, excavations at Pattanam have unearthed relics of three dozen cultures linked to diverse geographies that extend from Hepu site in southern China to Catalonia in Spain, from 5th century BCE to 5th century CE. They point towards a highly sophisticated culture flourishing in the Periyar delta, with its indigenous settlements dating back to 1,000 BCE.