CHENNAI: The state archaeology department is planning to resume its underwater exploration off the Poompuhar coast in January 2027, with further investigations expected to shed more light on the ancient port city and its maritime connections. The next phase will be taken up after the monsoon, as climatic and sea conditions are considered non-conducive to underwater exploration before January.
The third phase of the underwater exploration, which began on September 6 and concluded on Tuesday (September 22), has yielded several significant archaeological finds, including a fragment of a torpedo jar believed to have originated in West Asia.
The exploration was carried out over nearly two square kilometres in the sea off Poompuhar, Mayiladuthurai district. VP Yathees Kumar, Joint Director (in-charge), TN State Department of Archaeology (TNSDA), said this is the first time a torpedo jar fragment has been found underwater off Poompuhar.
Torpedo jars are tubular vessels with cylindrical bodies and narrow mouths, generally used to transport liquid commodities such as wine or oil by ship, he added. Similar vessels have been reported from archaeological sites in the state.
“Along with the torpedo jars, glazed ceramic fragments and limestone bases of idols were recovered during the latest exploration. Archaeologists have also found four ancient ring wells,” said Kumar.
The presence of the ring wells could indicate that a palaeochannel once existed here. Kumar said only about 10% of the underwater exploration has been completed so far. The discoveries are considered significant against the backdrop of continuing coastal erosion and changes to the Poompuhar sea floor.