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Roman connections

The relevance and history of Arikamedu are now available at a museum near the archaeological site, writes RAJESH NAIR

PHOTO: T.SINGARAVELOU

REVISITING THE PAST A jar excavated at Arikamedu

Those who plan to visit the archaeological site at Arikamedu after October 16 can now look forward to getting more information about the excavation work on at the site. That's thanks to a museum that's being inaugurated tomorrow, close to the site.

It is at Poduke or Arikamedu, 15 km from Pondicherry, north of Puhar along the Ariyankuppam river, that one can find archaeological remains to prove that India had trade links with the Romans.

At the site were discovered terracotta lamps, bangles, semi precious and precious stones, industrial wastes, beads in glasses and stones, black and red ware, bowls and fragment of three different Amphora jars excavated at various stages, starting from 1945. These will find a place at the museum. Also exhibited are photographs of the Iron Age burial sites, walls built with large tanks put together in mud mortar, illustrations of trade practices and profiles of archaeologists who were involved in the excavation.

The ruins of Arikamedu were first mentioned in the travel writings of French astronomer Guillaume Le Gentil who visited Pondicherry in 1768.

More information about the site was provided after Sir Mortimer Wheeler, the then director general of the Archaeological Survey of India, in 1945 excavated the site. Another French archaeologist Jean Marie Casal soon followed Wheeler and confirmed the findings. Casal excavated Iron Age burials in Pondicherry and found rich gold jewels, the quality of which was highest from any burial site in India, says Suresh Pillai, president Arikamedu Heritage Society.

Four decades later, archaeologist Vimala Bagley and her team did more work on the site and found traces of settlements that are believed to have dated to 2nd Century BC.

"The museum will provide all the available information on Arikamedu and its relevance and importance," said Suresh. The society plans to promote the site as a tourist destination, he added.

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