"It
is a long, tiring journey to Kodumanal, a tiny village in western Tamil Nadu --
a place virtually unheard of until archaeologists recently unearthed a
2,500-year-old industrial estate there.
..Kodumanal,
Rajan explains, was a manufacturing and trading centre in the 4th century BCE.
It is mentioned as such in the Sangam literature of classical Tamil (circa 300
BCE-300 CE). The settlement, which would have accommodated several thousand
people in its heyday, appears to have been abandoned after the 3rd century CE.
..In
one memorable case, the archaeologists found 2,220 carnelian beads in a single
grave. This may be the first instance of its kind in India, Rajan says.
There are sources of sapphire, beryl and quartz near Kodumanal, but carnelian, agate and lapis lazuli came from distant sources -- as far away as Gujarat, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. The ancient economy, too, was global.
There are sources of sapphire, beryl and quartz near Kodumanal, but carnelian, agate and lapis lazuli came from distant sources -- as far away as Gujarat, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. The ancient economy, too, was global.
...The
finds show that workshops for cutting and shaping precious gems, for making
semi-precious stone beads, and also, incidentally, for shell-cutting, were
present in Kodumanal more than 2,300 years ago.
But the workers' technical skills did not begin and end with gem-making. They also worked with iron and steel. In fact, ancient sources of iron ore have been found in and around Chennimalai hill, 15 km to the east.
But the workers' technical skills did not begin and end with gem-making. They also worked with iron and steel. In fact, ancient sources of iron ore have been found in and around Chennimalai hill, 15 km to the east.
...Kodumanal
was one of the earliest wootz steel centres of the world. Wootz steel, a form
of carbon steel, was a prized, highly durable speciality of ancient India, and
much sought-after in the West.
In Roman literature there are references to the import of steel from the Chera country, or south India. References to wootz steel in Sangam literature indicate that Roman Egypt imported its finest steel from here. The rust-free ancient iron pillar still standing near the Qut'b Minar in Delhi is said to be made of iron from this region.
In Roman literature there are references to the import of steel from the Chera country, or south India. References to wootz steel in Sangam literature indicate that Roman Egypt imported its finest steel from here. The rust-free ancient iron pillar still standing near the Qut'b Minar in Delhi is said to be made of iron from this region.
More
proof of Kodumanal's trade links comes in the form of Roman coins, dug up in
hoards as well as single pieces. The town lay on a trade route frequented by
Roman merchants, who came to buy beryl, quartz and other stones.
Goods
to be exported to the West were carried by road to the Chera port of Muziris
(Pattinam) on the west coast near Thrissur, and then went by ship. Goods for
South-east Asia were carried east to Karur, capital of the Chera kingdom, then
to Poompuhar near the mouth of the Kaveri, and then overseas.
The number and variety of the tombs and graves
tell us what the rest of the site already makes clear: at its peak this was a
prosperous place, with many residents, whose pride in their work, which was
organised on an industrial scale, reflected the strong worldwide demand for it.
This
is the last day of the dig at Kodumanal. Work has been on for three months, since
April, performed by six PhD scholars, numerous students and 40 local labourers.
And yet it is as if the archaeologists have merely scratched the surface.
There
is still a large historical treasure trove, of material and insight not
bullion, waiting to be unearthed. According to Rajan it will take another 10
years to complete the excavation.
