Muziris On The Treasure Trail - The Week
December 27, 2014, 6:30:00 PM
The cover story of THE WEEK, by Mandira Nayar, elaborates on the treasure trail of the spice route,the ports from where Indian spices travelled the world. The spice route is a story about movement, travel, adventure, discovery, and migration, as well as pepper, ginger, and textiles travelling from Indian shores to Europe. The Greeks and Romans considered pepper as black gold and used it for various purposes. Similar to the Silk Route, the "Spice Route" is a maritime commerce route that links various nations. By travelling these routes, the "Spice Route" hopes to connect with the past.
Excavation of the Muziris Heritage Projects started in 2007. One of the most significant discoveries has been a 2000-year-old canoe and a wharf. Pattanam yielded amphorae, Roman coins, and gold jewelry. The excavation is on show at New Delhi’s National Museum. The muziris' work is powered by the Kerala Council for Historical Research. The Pattanam has yielded the maximum number of amphora sherds ever found from an archaeological site on the Indian Ocean rim. Trenches revealed an elaborate sanitation system in Pattanam. Huge earthenware pots excavated from the site reveal an advanced system of sewage disposal. 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.