The Hindu : National : Kerala seeks Indo-Italian study centre

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Tuesday, Jul 28, 2009
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Kerala seeks Indo-Italian study centre

C. Gouridasan Nair

M.A. Baby

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala’s Education Minister M. A. Baby has urged the Centre to set up an Indo-Italian study centre in the State, in the light of archaeological findings at Pattanam that suggest the State’s links with the Roman empire date back to the 1st century BC.

Inaugurating a month-long Greek-Latin crash course at the Kerala Council for Historical Research (KCHR) here on Monday, Mr. Baby said carbon dating of four organic samples — recovered from Pattanam by experts at the Georgia University in the U. S. — revealed that the wood samples were as old as 56 BC and 8 AD, and that the coconut shell recovered from the area dated back to 17 AD and 72 AD.

“These and other findings from Pattanam suggest that we are at the doorstep of the ancient port city of Muziriz, which was a key point on the Indo-Roman trade circuit,” Mr. Baby said.

He pointed out that the excavation work at Pattanam, north of Kochi, had been increasingly receiving worldwide attention and approbation on account of the scientific manner in which it had been undertaken.

Pattanam has proved to be the largest repository of evidence connected with the Roman empire outside its borders.

Although the evidence links Pattanam to all parts of the empire, the largest quantity of the remnants were connected with southern Italy, Mr. Baby said.

He pointed out that some Italian universities had already signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with the KCHR for joint research and that the British Academy of South Asian Studies had formed a research team for the purpose.

KCHR director P.J. Cherian presided over the function. Greek-Latin course master Federico de Romanis from the University of Rome; professor at St. Lawrence University, U.S., Shinu Abraham; and KCHR course coordinator V. Dinesan spoke.

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