KOCHI: Kerala’s link with ancient Egyptian culture was established by the artefacts and relics found at the Pattanam excavation site in Ernakulam. Now, a team of eight researchers from the PAMA Institute for the Advancement of Transdisciplinary Archaeological Sciences located at Pattanam is embarking on a visit to the Red Sea coast and River Nile to conduct further research into the connection between Egypt and Cheranadu (as Kerala was known back in the day).
“The items retrieved from the Pattanam excavation site directly pointed towards the extensive trade that took place between the two countries in ancient times.
The primary objective of the team is to explore the ancient maritime connections between India and Egypt during the Sangam Age (300 BCE - 300 CE) and prepare a ground for future Indo-Egyptian studies,” said P J Cherian, former director of Kerala Council for Historical Research (KCHR) from PAMA Institute. He, too, is part of the team.
“Historical records distinctly reveal early interactions between the Indian subcontinent and Egypt, notably dating back to the Pharaonic era, which is before the 3rd century BC,” he said. Evidence such as the utilisation of black pepper in Ramses II’s mummification during the 12th century BC illuminates this ancient connection. “There is evidence to prove trade did happen between the Muziris and three continents namely Asia, Africa and Europe,” said Cherian. Around the first century BC, the early coastal port network of the Red Sea and Indian Ocean witnessed a significant transformation, he adds.
Cherian says the research work will happen with the team traversing on foot the entire stretch of the sites that have been identified through satellite mapping.
“One important fact that came to our notice is that though nearly all countries have research stations on the ground in Egypt, India, which had significantly greater trade relations has none,” he said.
Explaining the relations, he recalled the story told to him by a researcher from Spain. “She told me there are mentions in some texts as to how a person from Cheranadu travelled to Egypt. It is said he learned Arabic and Greek. He brought back to Cheranadu an Egyptian and two Greeks. Though there is not enough evidence to prove that, the mention of Cheranadu in the writings of Pliny points towards the fact that trade did exist,” he said.
“Research done in Pattanam highlights the peak phase of Indo-Roman contact through Egypt, spanning from 100 BCE to 300 CE. Accounts from Greek, Latin, Tamil, and Sanskrit sources vividly depict vibrant trade activities at Muciri Pattinam (Muziris),” said Cherian.
The PAMA team will join the field research conducted by the University of Delaware, USA, and Heidelberg University, Germany. Research Associate Dr Madhavi Kunneriath and the Director of the PAMA exploration wing, Nipun Cherian will lead the PAMA team. Scheduled for departure on December 21, the team is expected to return by the last week of January.
