Pattanam
Encyclopedia
Pattanam presently a land locked rural hamlet located in the Periyar
Delta, 2 km north of North Paravur
, 9 km south of Kodungallur
and 25 km north of Kochi
in Ernakulam District
in the southern
India
n state
of Kerala
. Pattanam that means coastal town has ancient origins. It is said to have been first occupied around 1,000 BCE and continued to be active till the 10th century CE.
4 m thick soil of this village conceals the ancient maritime history of the world. The recent archaeological excavations undertaken by the Kerala Council for Historical Research [KCHR] at Pattanam suggests that this legendary seaport Muciri Pattanam better known as Muziris
could have been located at this small village..
State Archaeology
Department R. Nagaswamy is of opinion that it is not yet time to identify Pattanam as Muziris
. Kodungallur
also is to be excavated before coming to a conclusion. Archaeology
requires a lot of evidence before arriving any conclusion.
was cleft into two. The word Muciri means, Cleft Palate and Pattanam derived from Prakrit
and Pali
, means coastal town, in almost all Indian languages. Thus this place got its name Muciri Pattanam.
It is not clear however, why Muciri Pattanam ended its activities as a major trade port around the middle of the 14th century CE. One theory attributes it to a great flood of 1341 that caused the change of the Periyar river
. This resulted in the shifting of this centre of commerce to other areas like Kochi and Calicut. Following this Muciri Pattanam went into a slumber for many years. Slowly even its position was forgotten. But the name lived through writings of ancient mariners and records, through many centuries.
The search for the legendary town Muziris
on the Malabar Coast had been focused on the northern banks of river Periyar river
, basing on the literary evidence from Sangam literature
and Periplus of the Erythrean Sea, among others. But nothing had been found to identify Muziris
.
In 2004, Dr. K.P. Shajan, a geoarchaeologist, put forward the hypothesis that the legendary seaport of Muziris
, which was a bustling trading centre during the early historic period between the first century BCE and the fifth century CE, could have been located at Pattanam. To substantiate this hypothesis he had the following evidences.
A branch of Periyar river
, called the Periyar Thodu (Periyar canal), runs close to Pattanam. Satellite imagery, a clear geological evidence, indicated that the Periyar river
delta lies on the southern side and the river could have flowed close to Pattanam.
Moreover, the residents of Pattanam, regularly used to come across a large amount of broken pottery shards and ancient fired bricks while digging the ground. These evidences indicate that the Periyar river
could have flowed close to Pattanam about 2,000 years ago and Pattanam is the ancient port town Muziris
.
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.
Square copper coins (on one side elephant
and on the other bows and arrows) had been found at the site. These types of coins were issued in the beginning of Christian era. At the same time there is lack of evidence to show that the artifacts unearthed at Pattanam came specifically from Rome
. It is necessary to get information that these are connected directly to Italy
.
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.
.
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.
Periyar
Periyar may refer to*Periyar , a major river in Kerala*Periyar district, the erstwhile name for Erode district in Tamil Nadu*Periyar National Park*Periyar E. V. Ramasamy, a Tamil social reformer...
Delta, 2 km north of North Paravur
North Paravur
North Paravur formerly known as Parur is a town, municipality in Ernakulam district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is an old and growing municipality. Paravur is the capital of Paravur Taluk in Ernakulam district...
, 9 km south of Kodungallur
Kodungallur
Kodungallur is a municipality in Thrissur District, in the state of Kerala, India on the Malabar Coast. Kodungallur is located about 29 km northwest of Kochi city and 38 km Southwest of Thrissur, on National Highway 17 . Muziris the ancient seaport at the mouth of the Periyar River was...
and 25 km north of Kochi
Kochi
-Places:* Kochi, a city in the state of Kerala, India, formerly known as Cochin* Kingdom of Cochin, a former feudal city-state on Malabar Coast, India** Fort Kochi, one of the three main urban components which constitute the present day city of Kochi, Kerala, India...
in Ernakulam District
Ernakulam district
-Economy:Agriculture constitutes the most important segment of the district’s economy and it is the biggest source of employment. Of the geographical 235319 hectares, crops are grown in 0 hectares. Coconut is the principal crop followed by rubber, paddy, and tapioca...
in the southern
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
. Pattanam that means coastal town has ancient origins. It is said to have been first occupied around 1,000 BCE and continued to be active till the 10th century CE.
4 m thick soil of this village conceals the ancient maritime history of the world. The recent archaeological excavations undertaken by the Kerala Council for Historical Research [KCHR] at Pattanam suggests that this legendary seaport Muciri Pattanam better known as Muziris
Muziris
Muziris is an ancient sea-port in Southwestern India on the Periyar River 3.2 km from its mouth. The derivation of the name Muziris is said to be from "Mucciripattanam," "mucciri" means "cleft palate" and "pattanam" means "city". Near Muziris, Periyar River was branched into two like a...
could have been located at this small village..
Pattanam and Muziris
Former Director of the Tamil NaduTamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
State Archaeology
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
Department R. Nagaswamy is of opinion that it is not yet time to identify Pattanam as Muziris
Muziris
Muziris is an ancient sea-port in Southwestern India on the Periyar River 3.2 km from its mouth. The derivation of the name Muziris is said to be from "Mucciripattanam," "mucciri" means "cleft palate" and "pattanam" means "city". Near Muziris, Periyar River was branched into two like a...
. Kodungallur
Kodungallur
Kodungallur is a municipality in Thrissur District, in the state of Kerala, India on the Malabar Coast. Kodungallur is located about 29 km northwest of Kochi city and 38 km Southwest of Thrissur, on National Highway 17 . Muziris the ancient seaport at the mouth of the Periyar River was...
also is to be excavated before coming to a conclusion. Archaeology
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
requires a lot of evidence before arriving any conclusion.
History
Muciri Pattanam was situated where Periyar riverPeriyar River
Periyar is the longest river in the state of Kerala, India, with a length of 244 km. The Periyar is known as the lifeline of Kerala; it is one of the few perennial rivers in the region and provides drinking water for several major towns...
was cleft into two. The word Muciri means, Cleft Palate and Pattanam derived from Prakrit
Prakrit
Prakrit is the name for a group of Middle Indic, Indo-Aryan languages, derived from Old Indic dialects. The word itself has a flexible definition, being defined sometimes as, "original, natural, artless, normal, ordinary, usual", or "vernacular", in contrast to the literary and religious...
and Pali
Páli
- External links :* *...
, means coastal town, in almost all Indian languages. Thus this place got its name Muciri Pattanam.
It is not clear however, why Muciri Pattanam ended its activities as a major trade port around the middle of the 14th century CE. One theory attributes it to a great flood of 1341 that caused the change of the Periyar river
Periyar River
Periyar is the longest river in the state of Kerala, India, with a length of 244 km. The Periyar is known as the lifeline of Kerala; it is one of the few perennial rivers in the region and provides drinking water for several major towns...
. This resulted in the shifting of this centre of commerce to other areas like Kochi and Calicut. Following this Muciri Pattanam went into a slumber for many years. Slowly even its position was forgotten. But the name lived through writings of ancient mariners and records, through many centuries.
The search for the legendary town Muziris
Muziris
Muziris is an ancient sea-port in Southwestern India on the Periyar River 3.2 km from its mouth. The derivation of the name Muziris is said to be from "Mucciripattanam," "mucciri" means "cleft palate" and "pattanam" means "city". Near Muziris, Periyar River was branched into two like a...
on the Malabar Coast had been focused on the northern banks of river Periyar river
Periyar River
Periyar is the longest river in the state of Kerala, India, with a length of 244 km. The Periyar is known as the lifeline of Kerala; it is one of the few perennial rivers in the region and provides drinking water for several major towns...
, basing on the literary evidence from Sangam literature
Sangam literature
Sangam literature refers to a body of classical Tamil literature created between the years c. 600 BCE to 300 CE. This collection contains 2381 poems composed by 473 poets, some 102 of whom remain anonymous The period during which these poems were composed is commonly referred to as the Sangam...
and Periplus of the Erythrean Sea, among others. But nothing had been found to identify Muziris
Muziris
Muziris is an ancient sea-port in Southwestern India on the Periyar River 3.2 km from its mouth. The derivation of the name Muziris is said to be from "Mucciripattanam," "mucciri" means "cleft palate" and "pattanam" means "city". Near Muziris, Periyar River was branched into two like a...
.
In 2004, Dr. K.P. Shajan, a geoarchaeologist, put forward the hypothesis that the legendary seaport of Muziris
Muziris
Muziris is an ancient sea-port in Southwestern India on the Periyar River 3.2 km from its mouth. The derivation of the name Muziris is said to be from "Mucciripattanam," "mucciri" means "cleft palate" and "pattanam" means "city". Near Muziris, Periyar River was branched into two like a...
, which was a bustling trading centre during the early historic period between the first century BCE and the fifth century CE, could have been located at Pattanam. To substantiate this hypothesis he had the following evidences.
A branch of Periyar river
Periyar River
Periyar is the longest river in the state of Kerala, India, with a length of 244 km. The Periyar is known as the lifeline of Kerala; it is one of the few perennial rivers in the region and provides drinking water for several major towns...
, called the Periyar Thodu (Periyar canal), runs close to Pattanam. Satellite imagery, a clear geological evidence, indicated that the Periyar river
Periyar River
Periyar is the longest river in the state of Kerala, India, with a length of 244 km. The Periyar is known as the lifeline of Kerala; it is one of the few perennial rivers in the region and provides drinking water for several major towns...
delta lies on the southern side and the river could have flowed close to Pattanam.
Moreover, the residents of Pattanam, regularly used to come across a large amount of broken pottery shards and ancient fired bricks while digging the ground. These evidences indicate that the Periyar river
Periyar River
Periyar is the longest river in the state of Kerala, India, with a length of 244 km. The Periyar is known as the lifeline of Kerala; it is one of the few perennial rivers in the region and provides drinking water for several major towns...
could have flowed close to Pattanam about 2,000 years ago and Pattanam is the ancient port town Muziris
Muziris
Muziris is an ancient sea-port in Southwestern India on the Periyar River 3.2 km from its mouth. The derivation of the name Muziris is said to be from "Mucciripattanam," "mucciri" means "cleft palate" and "pattanam" means "city". Near Muziris, Periyar River was branched into two like a...
.
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. http://www.ias.ac.in/currsci/jul252009/236.pdfThe 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.
Square copper coins (on one side elephant
Elephant
Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
and on the other bows and arrows) had been found at the site. These types of coins were issued in the beginning of Christian era. At the same time there is lack of evidence to show that the artifacts unearthed at Pattanam came specifically from Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. It is necessary to get information that these are connected directly to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
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.
.
Excavations 2007-2009
These three seasons produced the largest number of Mediterranean amphora fragments excavated outside the boundaries of the Roman EmpireExcavations 2010
Findings: Antiquities of small size - beads of both semi-precious stones and glass, pendants or lockets 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.
Excavations 2011
The excavations at Pattanam, the ancient port city of Muziris sheds new light on the life and times of the ancient Kerala. The finds this year includes iron and copper nails, Roman glass, Chola coins, terracotta and semi precious stone beads.See also
- MuzirisMuzirisMuziris is an ancient sea-port in Southwestern India on the Periyar River 3.2 km from its mouth. The derivation of the name Muziris is said to be from "Mucciripattanam," "mucciri" means "cleft palate" and "pattanam" means "city". Near Muziris, Periyar River was branched into two like a...
- North ParavurNorth ParavurNorth Paravur formerly known as Parur is a town, municipality in Ernakulam district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is an old and growing municipality. Paravur is the capital of Paravur Taluk in Ernakulam district...
- ThiruvanchikulamThiruvanchikulamThiruvanchikkulam was the capital of the Chera kingdom. Thiruvanchikulam is situated near the modern city of Kochi in the Kerala Province of modern India south to Mahodayapuram and north to former Muziris, the famous sea port on the Malabar coast...
- Ernakulam DistrictErnakulam district-Economy:Agriculture constitutes the most important segment of the district’s economy and it is the biggest source of employment. Of the geographical 235319 hectares, crops are grown in 0 hectares. Coconut is the principal crop followed by rubber, paddy, and tapioca...
- Paravur TalukParavur TalukNorth Paravur is the capital of Paravur Taluk in Ernakulam District. Paravur Taluk lies in the north western part of Ernakulam district bordering to Thrissur district. The surrounding taluks are Kochi to the west consisting of Vypin Island, Kodungallore to the north, Aluva to the east consisting...
- KochiKochi-Places:* Kochi, a city in the state of Kerala, India, formerly known as Cochin* Kingdom of Cochin, a former feudal city-state on Malabar Coast, India** Fort Kochi, one of the three main urban components which constitute the present day city of Kochi, Kerala, India...
- KodungallurKodungallurKodungallur is a municipality in Thrissur District, in the state of Kerala, India on the Malabar Coast. Kodungallur is located about 29 km northwest of Kochi city and 38 km Southwest of Thrissur, on National Highway 17 . Muziris the ancient seaport at the mouth of the Periyar River was...