Attempt to  Transform Adulterated Archaeology at Pattanam into Tourism and Heritage Site of St' Thomas

Archaeologists Respond-
Report by  Times of India

Muziris does not need a tourism tag'
Dec 11, 2011, 02.24AM IST [ Gayathri Sasibhushan ]


KOCHI: The focus of the Muziris project is shifting towards tourism
from the archaeological importance of the findings of the excavation
done at a site, according to archaeology experts. On the sidelines of
an international seminar at Kottappuram on Saturday, many experts said
that the project should be given its due archaeological importance.

The excavation at the Muziris heritage site should have been modelled
after the Anuradhapura excavation project in Sri Lanka, K Krishnan, a
faculty member of archaeology at the University of Baroda, said. The
department of archaeology was part of the of the excavation team at
Anuradhapura, which was at present a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Krishnan said that the importance of Muziris was shifting towards
tourism from the archaeological importance of the findings.

A scholar in the field of geological-archaeology, Krishnan suggested a
comprehensive study technique such as the Hinterland transect survey
for further Kottapuram excavations. "In simple language, this would
mean a more intensive field work with Arcgis software-enabled
equipment, which is an expensive and labour-intensive alternative to
what is being done now," he said.

The shards of pottery and celadon found at the Kottappuram fort were
signs of a much earlier settlement of Portuguese than 1509, said Prof
Doutor Vitor Rodriguez. Doutor, an expert on the Portuguese forts in
south India, said, "Kottappuram will have more relics because the
strategic position of the fort in relation to the ancient Spice route
and further excavations will definitely give us more evidence."