Over the previous few years, if there was one declare that attracted unanimous denunciation from archaeologists as “unscientific”, it was the declare of a geologist that the traditional port metropolis of Poompuhar flourished 15,000 years in the past, off the current day Kaveripoompattinam village in Mayiladuthurai district, Tamil Nadu.
He had claimed that the Poompuhar harbour was 11 km lengthy, 2.5 km large and had 70-80 docks for berthing ships. The harbour was discovered 30 km-40 km from the current day shore. There have been human settlements round, and a lighthouse with a spiral staircase, too.
Archaeologists throughout the spectrum misplaced no time in knocking the underside out of this declare on the grounds that it was illogical. 15,000 years in the past, it was the Microlithic Age within the Indian sub-continent when human-beings have been hunter-gatherers. They’d not even learnt to cultivate cattle then. The declare had “no scientific basis” as a result of no underwater exploration was completed, archaeologists mentioned. No archaeologist was concerned within the train. It relied solely on remote-sensing pictures, which couldn’t reveal whether or not they have been pure formations beneath the ocean or man-made constructions. No date may very well be assigned to an archaeological website with solely remote-sensing pictures, specialists argued.
The declare was made by geologist SM. Ramasamy, Nationwide Coordinator, Undertaking Poompuhar, Division of Distant-sensing, Bharathidasan College, Tiruchi, at a press convention on January 20, 2023. He mentioned one of many main findings of a analysis research, headed by him, was that the port metropolis of Poompuhar was not 2,500 years outdated as it’s extensively believed, however “appears to be more than 15,000 years old. It thus appears to be one of the oldest port cities in the world.”
This got here to gentle when the research to “digitally reconstruct the comprehensive life-history of Poompuhar” was undertaken over an space of about 1,000 sq. kilometres within the offshore space of the Bay of Bengal, off Kaveripoompattinam, Dr. Ramasamy mentioned. The research was completed with Indian Distant-sensing Satellite tv for pc pictures and the Normal Bathymetry Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO). The Nationwide Institute of Ocean Expertise (NIOT), Chennai, chipped in with Multi-beam Echo Sounder (MBES) information. The survey was completed for about 30 km to 40 km from the shore at a depth of fifty metres to 100 metres within the sea.
A press release issued by Dr. Ramasamy mentioned the port metropolis of Poompuhar was “discovered” undersea. It coated 250 sq. km. It was “inferred” that the harbour was 11 km lengthy within the north-south route and was 2.5 km broad. There have been lengthy canals working north-south. There have been east-west cross-canals. The previous was for the motion of huge vessels and the latter for turning them. There have been 70 to 80 docks over 30 km for berthing the ships, the assertion mentioned.
North of the harbour, there was a (human) settlement with a cluster of homes over 4 sq. km. Apart from, a row of settlements with compound partitions was “inferred”. The settlements throughout the compound partitions have been intact due to the safety provided by the partitions. However in one other settlement, discovered 10 km south-east of the harbour, the compound partitions have been intact however the homes inside “were totally buried under the sand”, the assertion mentioned.
Poompuhar, now known as Kaveripoompattinam, has had an fascinating historical past of explorations and excavations. Archaeologists say Poompuhar existed about 2,500 years in the past close to the confluence of the Cauvery with the Bay of Bengal. About 1,000 years in the past, it went beneath water, submerged maybe by a tsunami or tidal motion. Excavations on land, geophysical surveys in the ocean off Kaveripoompattinam and underwater explorations by educated divers-cum-archaeologists within the Nineteen Eighties and the Nineties revealed man-made constructions, wharfs and ceramic materials, which may very well be dated again to the third century BCE to fifth century CE.
Archaeologists and lecturers throughout Tamil Nadu had no hesitation in brushing apart Ramasamy’s claims as “unscientific data” and missing in logic.
V. Selvakumar, Head, Division of Maritime Historical past and Marine Archaeology, Tamil College, Thanjavur, mentioned, “We have primary evidence for the existence of hunter-gatherers across South Asia 15,000 years ago. This is established scientific research.” Anyone, who’s aware of archaeological analysis, would say it could have been inconceivable for prehistoric people to construct such an enormous harbour with dockyards, human settlements and a lighthouse. The options seen in remote-sensing pictures distributed by Dr. Ramasamy “may be some kind of natural formations or other types of formations and they must be investigated further”, he added. Dr. Selvakumar is additionally Coordinator, Centre for Indian Ocean Research.
Shanti Pappu, former Professor of Prehistory, Deccan School Postgraduate and Analysis Institute, Pune, mentioned, “Around 15,000-20,000 years ago, South Asia was occupied by prehistoric populations making stone tools. These were hunter-gatherers adapting to various ecological contexts across this region. I, therefore, look forward to chronometric dates from the sites under investigation and involvement of archaeologists in these interdisciplinary studies.”
An completed archaeologist-cum-academic, who has excavated a number of websites in Tamil Nadu, argued how even the Indus Valley Civilisation didn’t exist 15,000 years in the past. So the most recent declare about Poompuhar had “no scientific basis”. He requested, “Were human beings sea-faring then? Did they know ship-building technology? Did they know astronomy? Society at that time was not even agro-pastoral.”
The archaeologist-cum-academic identified that Dr. Ramasamy had claimed that the then Poompuhar’s harbour was 11 km lengthy, 2.5 km large and had 70 to 80 docks. “With whom did the people of Poompuhar trade with such a big port? What were the commodities exported and imported? Even the Shanghai port today in China is not so big,” he mentioned.
Even on land, no city settlement has been found, which is 15,000 years outdated, he mentioned.
What has galled archaeologists is that the claims have been made with none artefacts being produced. No underwater exploration was completed. There have been no archaeologists or divers in Dr. Ramasamy’s crew. The findings have been based mostly on remote-sensing pictures.
Distant-sensing pictures of the constructions beneath the ocean wouldn’t reveal whether or not they have been pure formations or man-made constructions, asserted a younger archaeologist, who didn’t need to be quoted by title. “Using remote-sensing images, you can provide information about the geographical features of an area, including an area which is under water. However, you cannot give a date to an archaeological site using remote-sensing images. A date can be given only by underwater excavation.”
There are a number of strategies reminiscent of accelerated mass spectrometry (AMS), optically stimulated luminescence (OSL), thermo luminescent courting (TLD), carbon-14 technique, uranium courting and so forth., to find out the age of an archaeological website or an artefact.
The formations seen within the pictures supplied by Dr. Ramasamy may have been shaped by wave motion. “Whether they are natural formations or man-made structures can be determined only by diving under the sea and exploring the area,” the archaeologist mentioned.
To return to the historical past of Poompuhar, it was a busy port of Sangam age Chola kings. (The Sangam age is datable from the third century BCE to 3rd century CE). It reportedly flourished about 2,500 years in the past. The port was located close to the mouth of the Cauvery. Retailers from completely different elements of India and South East Asia traded items there. Poompuhar is well known in Sangam age poems reminiscent of Silappadhikaram, Manimegalai, Pattinappalai, Purananuru and Agananuru. The town was dominated by Sangam age Chola rulers reminiscent of Ilanchetchenni, Killivalavan, Karikalvalavan and others.
Poompuhar held a fascination for M. Karunanidhi, the late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister. He arrange a Silappadhikaram Artwork Gallery there within the Nineteen Seventies when he was the Chief Minister.
Onland excavation came about first in 1981 on the shore of Kaveripoompattinam. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) did it beneath the steering of S.R. Rao and Ok.V. Raman. The excavations revealed some constructions on the shore: a wharf at Keezhaiyur, a reservoir at Vanagiri and a Buddha vihara at Melaiyur.
Therefore, a preliminary geophysical survey of the ocean, off Kaveripoompattinam, came about in 1981 beneath the steering of Dr. S.R. Rao and R. Nagaswamy. The latter was then Director of the Tamil Nadu State Division of Archaeology (TNSDA). This survey was completed collectively by the TNSDA and the Nationwide Institute of Oceanography (NIO), says a report revealed throughout a workshop held on September 29, 1994. Ok.H. Vora of the NIO took half on this geophysical survey, which deployed a side-scan sonar, an echo sounder and a magnetometer. Primarily based on the survey’s findings, which included three “peaks”, about two to a few metres tall, the NIO urged that an intensive underwater exploration be made by divers. The NIO despatched its findings to the TNSDA in 1987.
Subsequently, in three underwater explorations that came about within the Nineties, Ok. Rajan, who retired as Professor of Historical past, Central College, Pondicherry, took half. He dived, too. Dr. Rajan, an completed archaeologist and excavator, is a specialist scuba diver. He found a round stone construction, fabricated from three programs of stone, on the easternmost finish of the positioning. It was a man-made construction. Dr. S.R. Rao declared that it was a part of a lighthouse.
Natana. Kasinathan, in his guide written in Tamil titled ‘ Poompuharum, Kadal Agazhvayvum’ (Poompuhar and Below-sea Explorations), says the underwater exploration started on February 25, 1991, beneath the steering of Dr. S.R. Rao and himself. Dr. Kasinathan took over because the Director of State Division of Archaeology in 1988 from Dr. Nagaswamy. The guide ‘ Poompuharum, Kadal Agazhvayvum’ was revealed in 1992 by Tirunelveli, Then Indhiya Saiva Siddhantha Nool Pathippu Kazhagam, Chennai.
Within the 1991 underwater exploration completed by divers and through which a side-scan sonar and an echo-sounder have been used aboard a vessel, three man-made constructions have been discovered. Within the underwater exploration completed near the shore from January 27, 1993 to February 28, 1993, a number of brick constructions have been discovered. In response to Dr. Kasinathan, these brick constructions may very well be dated from the second century BCE to the fourth century CE.
A large paleo-channel of the Cauvery was discovered on the sea-bed.
Since ceramics, reminiscent of black and pink ware, and black ware belonging to the Megalithic interval and buff ware have been discovered near the man-made construction, constructed with three programs of stones, beneath the ocean off Vanagiri village, they may very well be dated to the third century BCE, he added.
Within the underwater exploration, completed by divers once more from February 4, 1997 to March 12, 1997, remnants of a construction constructed with laterite stones have been found. Thus, the date of Poompuhar may very well be circa fifth century BCE, that’s, 2,500 years earlier than the current, archaeologists mentioned.
When requested how he had estimated that Poompuhar existed about 15,000 years in the past, Dr. Ramasamy mentioned, “We have established that the ancient shoreline existed 15,000 years ago.” The ocean-level information, collected by 3-D elevation fashions, indicated it. “Obviously, the harbour must have been built there at the same time.” On why he didn’t use divers or maintain archaeologists in his crew, he replied, “We have discovered the structures now. We will take pictures using ROVs (remotely operated vehicles) in the next stage of our research-study. After the ROVs, we will plan for diving.”
However no archaeologist, price his salt, is satisfied that the port of Poompuhar existed about 15,000 years in the past with a harbour, dockyards, a lighthouse et al.
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