Pattanam Excavation - Mathrubhumi
September 18, 2010, 6:30:00 PM
The article by Dr P J Cherian and C S Meenakshi in Mathrubhumi talks about the Pattanam excavations,history revealed by the town, the daily routines of the mine, and the future of the mining land. The authentic and powerful gateway to the commercial history of the Kerala coast is the land called Pattanam. Excavations in the area have yielded rich evidence beyond mere clues. Today, the story of millennia is marked on the town's timeline. The seals of five historical periods, from the 10th century to the present day, were buried in the soil here.
Multi-disciplinary archaeological investigations carried out by the Kerala Research Council (KCHR) since 2007 indicate that Pattanam, which is seven km from Kodungallur,lying in the south, may be the actual port town of Muziris, as widely mentioned in the literature and travelogues of the period 100 BCE–300 CE, which has mysteriously disappeared without settlement.
Pattanam is unmistakably a world-class archaeological site, resurrected with complexity and enormous potential. The whole of Kerala should think about how to exemplify that heritage which is claimed by all mankind. It indicates here that two things are of immediate importance. One is the need for conservation activities that also ensure the participation of the town's villagers. About 70 hectares of archaeologically important land can be conserved through commercial organic farming of flowers, herbs, and vegetables.
International cooperation is the only way to overcome the limitations of archaeology in India. One of the benefits of Pattanam research is that it has been able to make an international academic impact.