ARIKAMEDU IS AN INDIAN CITY

ARIKAMEDU IS A NATIVE’S CREATION NOT WESTERN CREATION Extracts from Rome and India Edited by Prof. Vimala Bagley and Richard D.Puma Published by University of Wisconsin, USA. The author of Periplus mentions “Poduke” on the Coramandel coast which is believed to be Arikamedu as one of the Emporia on the Eastern coast of India. IMPORTS TO ARIKAMEDU Amphora Jars Cups and Plates of Terra Sigallata Ceramic Lamps Unguentaria ( Vessel for holding perfumed oil or unguen) Blue glazed Faience ( Tin glazed or decorated earthen ware or pottery originally made in Faenza in Italy) Glass Bowls Gems The most common imported items was amphora Jars Ms. Will identified following pieces of imports from Mediterranean Pieces of containers for wine from Kos, Knidos and Rhodes ( 1 BC to 1 AD) Spanish Jars for Garum Sauce and Olive oil. Olive jars from Istrian Peninsula in the Northern Adriatic sea An important result of Comfort’s study of the stamps on Terra Sigillata is that the “Italian Sigallata at Arikamedu is NOT necessarily a product of Arezzo , but was manufactured in different workshops. The Sigillata at Arikamedu is thus NOT a homogenous group which could have been shipped from one single source of manufacture . the shipping must have been the outcome of some process of selection in Mediterranean . WHO WERE THE CUSTOMERS? “If the graffito on the piece from the Musee Guimet ( Paris) is in an Iron age form of making an is a sign of ownership , some users of Sigillata at Arikamedu may have been from Tamil society” The Periplus mentions that wine was exported to Indian market ( DME 49.56) Reference on Yavanas or Westerners in Tamil literature ( Puram 50 Volume 16:21 from Zvelebil:402) “ having increased the joy by giving to the girls of shining bangles , who every day have taken in hands vessels beautified by gold to drink the cool fragrant wine brought by Yavanas in beautiful bowls” EXPORTS FROM ARIKAMEDU Textiles Beads of semi precious stones, glass, plant and Gems Bangles from shell IDENTITY OF TRADERS & REGULATIONS OF TRADE AT ARIKAMEDU The overseas trade was initiated and controlled by Roman subjects. Greco- Roman involvement in the trade is almost certain from the findings . Furthermore, pottery suggests that some westerners may have resided at Arikamedu on a long terms basis. From the finds it is difficult to gauge what was the strength of the western population might have been at any time ; or what role westerners had in the trade. From the Pazzolana cement it can be inferred that Roman subjects had a role in the building of Port city. But it is apparent that the architecture of Arikamedu is not Greco Roman. The imported pottery, including Amphora forms a mere fraction of one percent of the pottery at the site and even pottery which seem to evolve from western prototypes is limited amount. The imports and derivatives from imports reflects the presence , perhaps needs of westerners but not a larger scale. THE WESTERNERS IN ARIKAMEDU WERE MIDDLE MEN? On the basis of Periplus, Lionel Casson in several of his recent publications proposed that western ships did not , at least on a regular basis, sail to the East Coast of India. The merchants and Rome and Egypt bought eastern products from Malabar. The forwarding of merchandise between the two coasts were in local vessels (Casson 1989.16 n 24:25) . In order to reconcile the evidence of Western residents in Arikamedu and Kaveripattinam with that of Periplus Casson suggests that westerners residing on the east coast were chiefly middle men engaged in forwarding goods to their associate on the Malabar coast and not all the way to Egypt . Question: If the western merchant could procure goods from Malabar ports why would they reside at Eastern Coast Arikamedu which is quite far? TRADE WITH THE EASTERN COUNTRIES ( SOUTH EAST ASIA) The eastern coastal trade networks suggest that Coramandel sailors were navigating in the waters of the bay of Bengal through Palk straits and around the Adams Bridge. They were quite likely sailing to the Malabar coast as well. Archeological evidences strongly suggests that the sailors from Coramandel coast ventured out to sail in the open sea. The excavations and the studies in Bali ( Indonesia) strongly indicate the uniformity in material design and pattern of pottery between the two regions. ARIKAMEDU IS A NATIVE’S CREATION NOT WESTERN CREATION All the evidences strongly suggest that the incentive for the growth of Arikamedu as a major port of the Coramandel coast in the ancient period may have come , in past , at least , from within the Tamil community. HOME