First century Spanish pottery found in Pattanam

India Today ^ | December 7, 2009 | M.G. Radhakrishnan

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Excavations in Pattanam have recovered besides pottery, large cache of gold coins, semi precious stones, remnants of a canoe and bollards etc. Carbon dating done at Georgia University in US has calculated the age of the canoe and bollard falling between 36 BC and 24 AD.

The excavations in Pattanam have so far recovered the largest assemblage of Roman amphorae -1100 fragments- in India. However it was for the first time remnants of a Spanish pottery were being recovered from India's western coast. According to Roberta Tomber, a collaborating expert from British Museum and noted authority on Roman pottery the remnants belong to Catalan region around Barcelona of Spain.

"This is the first recovery from India of amphorae from this region of Spain" said she. The amphorae had distinctive collared rim, grooved handle and solid base. The sauce jar too had distinctive long flat handles, hollow base and out turned rim. Potter said that the Spanish pottery must have come to Pattanam from Alexandria and not directly from Spain.

"Alexandria was the emporium of all products from the different regions including Spain falling under the Roman empire during then," said Cherian.

The recovery is yet another proof for the flourishing trade which went on between Rome and the spices-rich Kerala region since 1st century BC. Until excavations were done in Pattanam, remnants of Roman amphorae were recovered only from Arikamedu in the Coromandel region in India's Eastern coast.

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http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0300088566/sunkencivilizati
At Empire’s Edge: Exploring Rome’s Egyptian Frontier

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0312199589/sunkencivilizati
Romans and Barbarians: Four Views from the Empire’s Edge, 1st Century AD

http://www.maritimeasia.ws/topic/chronology.html
Chronology of Asian maritime history

http://depts.washington.edu/silkroad/texts/periplus/periplus.html
The Voyage around the Erythraean Sea

http://www.funan.de/culture1.php
FUNAN.DE History of Funan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqJDQvZnQrE
Khmer Mystery - Funan (The Lost City) part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6P1eIORS3PY
Khmer Mystery - Funan (The Lost City) part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sE6l-2J8yI
Khmer Mystery - Funan (The Lost City) part 3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyKOaFsaq2Y
Khmer Mystery - Funan (The Lost City) part 4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-_Y25MtWl0
Khmer Mystery - Funan (The Lost City) part 5

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See also the Pattanam, Roman Empire, India, and Tamil keywords.

[Bigg Red]

...Potter said that the Spanish pottery ....

&&&
I think he means Tomber said that.

Fascinating to imagine these trade routes at that time.