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When the past catches up
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The discovery of a copper coin, which was of the Adi Chera era, and some other ancient coins from Pattanam added authority to the argument that Muziris was not in Kodungalloor but at Paravur
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Historians and archaeologists, including the Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit Vice-Chancellor, K. N. Panikkar, and Rajan Gurukkal, visiting the site of an ancient ring well excavated near Pattanam, Paravur.
KOCHI IS vying for the status of a heritage city.
Many may argue that there is nothing new in the claim of the port city, which has been showcasing the ancient towns of Mattancherry and Fort Kochi as its heritage monuments.
It was precisely with this objective, of attaining the heritage city status among other heritage conservation steps, that the Kochi Corporation launched the Centre for Heritage Studies of Cochin, some time ago. Though the Centre is yet to make a significant move in this direction due to reasons best known to the civic authorities and those at the helm of the affairs of the Centre, new archaeological evidence has fortified the city's claim for the heritage city status.
International attention is turning towards Kochi as two archaeological excavations have yielded interesting finds that have links to the bygone centuries.
The artefact of the ancient vessel that was discovered near Cherthala has generated tremendous interest among the marine archaeologists in the country and abroad. Though the vessel was spotted in the neighbouring town of Alappuzha, Kochi became the seat of deliberations for its conservation, as it was the Centre for Heritage Studies based at the Tripunithura Hill Palace that led the primary phase of excavation and conservation of the vessel.
Renowned marine archaeologists from around the country, including the head of the marine archaeology centre of the National Institute of Oceanography, K. H. Vora, and renowned historians like M. G. S. Narayanan put their heads together at the three-day session organised by the Centre.
Then came the initiative from the School of Social Sciences of the Mahatma Gandhi University.
In a unique initiative, they brought together distinguished historians and archaeologists from around the country to focus on the finds of the recent excavations at Pattanam, near Paravur, which strongly contested the theory that the ancient port town of Muziris was in Kodungalloor.
The discovery of a copper coin, which was of the Adi Chera era and some other ancient coins, from Pattanam by a group of archaeologists led by K. P. Shajan and V. Selvakumar added authority to the argument that Muziris was not in Kodungalloor but at Paravur. What enthused the archaeologists most was the discovery of some structures and a terracotta ring well from the area, which pointed to the existence of some urban settlements in the area. Even while stating that much more excavation need to be done to substantiate the theory, historians like K. N. Panikkar feel that recent finds were of utmost importance to the history and heritage of the State.
Claims on the location of the Muziris and the conservation methods of the Thaikkal vessel may be points of future debates. But there is no denying the fact that the city is gaining prominence in the heritage map of the country.
By K. S. Sudhi
Photos: H. Vibhu
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Life
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Thiruvananthapuram
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