Oxford archaeologists unravel the past of Pattanam

Oxford archaeologists working at Pattanam (25 km north of Kochi) confirmed that it was an Indian port frequented by Romans.
The UK team will very soon discover why Pattanam was chosen to create a major trading facility and how the flourishing city disappeared.
Pattanam has been identified as part of the lost port town of Muziris described in ancient Tamil and Roman texts.
Dating back to 10th century BCE it has a history of habitation and trade links with Rome which peaked between 1st century BCE and 4th century CE.
Pattanam was a part of river delta and the presence of sand bars and islands may have contributed to its growth as a trading post.
The Kerala Council for Historical Research (KCHR) since 2007,signed a memorandum of understanding(MOU) with the School of Archaeology, University of Oxford, in 2010.
The UK experts will use airborne surveying techniques like LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) to map and understand the surface characteristics.
They aim to contextualise the excavations and study using data gathered from fieldwork and aerial surveys.the formation of the landscape and geomorphological features of the settlement.
Impression of witnessing fierce monsoon rains in the past and the landscape was considerably volatile.
To study the relationship between two important powers in the world (India and Rome) then is a critical process but there are rich evidence to show considerable exchange.

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