Christian Organisations Uphold Archaeological Excavations at Pattanam as Evidence of ST' Thomas Tradition
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Muziris ( Kodungallur ) and Indian Ocean Exchanges:
Trade links and maritime contacts between the sea-faring peoples like
Phoenicians, Jews and Arabs and the resource-rich Indian subcontinent
existed in the centuries, before Christ. Some historians, believe that
it can be traced back to the days of King Solomon, on the
basis of evidences in comparative philology ( Kings,9.28 & 10.11 ) (
Biblical reference to a port called ‘Ophir’ ,situated some where on the
west coast of India, too is cited as evidence for the maritime
relations ).
As per the extensive references from the following historical and literary sources, for at least three centuries, Muziris (Kodungallur)
was a prime center, for Mediterranean, North African, West Asian and
Chinese Maritime contacts and one of the four important Indian ports:
Sources of information:
- Strabo’s Geography 1C BC Geographical encyclopedia. (Greek historian)
- Periplus Maris(unknown author) 40-70AD About 40 Ports, incuding Muziris.
- Pliny, the Elder 1st C, AD Natural History
- Ptolomy’s Geographia 150 AD
- Muziris Papyrus 2nd C AD Trade contract between a Merchant from Muziris and a Banker / agent, Alexandria.
- Carition (escape of 2 lovers) 2nd C AD Comedy play/mime with Indian characters & reference from Indian Trade.
- Cosmos Indicoplatus Has references about Syrian Christians, ( Dealing 5 Ports; Muzris not mentioned)
- Puti table (TabulaPeutingeriana) 4th C AD, Among the Ports , Muziris shown with a Temple of Augustus, in the vicinity.
Indian sources:
- Classical Tamil sources like Sangam (2nd BC-4th AD );clear description of Muziris, is seen in the Akanaanooru, in the Sangam Literature.
- Epic poems-----Chilappathikaram. ,,
- Legends on cultural transmissions like St.Thomas& Knayi Thoma traditions.(Early Christian Era..)
- Very
limited Archaeological evidences from Western coast.—only Iron Age
burials & few Roman coin hoards. No evidence for habitation.
- Indian Pottery from Berenike—Shred with Tamil Brahmi Script.
- Arikkamedu: Roman coins -1st, 2nd & 3rd c AD.
- Archeological evidence from Pattanam ( Muziris )
Path breaking discoveries from Pattanam ( Muziris ) Excavations.
It is, in this back ground, that, Kerala
Council for Historical Research (K C H R) undertook a challenging,
‘multi-disciplinary’ archaeological research, in 2007, at Pattanam, a small village at North Parur, an integral part of ancient Kodungallur (Muziris ) port.
The artifacts and materials unearthed from the area have shown the
maritime activity there to be as old as 500 B C. ‘The artifacts
recovered from the excavation site suggest that Pattanam, with
a hinterland port and multicultural settlement, may have had links with
the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, and the South China
Sea rime, since the Early Historic Period of South India’, according to
P.J.Cherian, Director of K C H R .
The five samples including charcoal samples from the Iron Age Layer,
parts of wooden canoe, and bollards (stakes used to secure canoes ),
recovered from the site. Samples subjected to Accelerator Mass
Spectrometry (AMS), radiocarbon dating. Their mean calendar dates fall
around 500 B C. The wood ( of the Canoe ), was identified as Anjily ( Artocarpus hirsutus ) and Teak ( Tectona grandis.).
The 14 C date range of the canoe is 1300 BC to 100 BC. Other finds
include pottery,metals,objects of personal adornment, botanical samples,
and a broken rim with Tamil Brahmi script( 1stcentury BC) ,
one expert described as ‘exiting discovery’, providing sufficient
archeological evidence to the enquirers.( Iravatham Mahadevan,a
specialist in Tamil epigraphy, confirmed the inscription, of 1st century BC. )
Unearthed from PATTANAM :
- Amphorae---Wine container ( Big storage jar, made of stony type of clay)
- Indian Pottery ( Non Roman 2nd grade.)
Other items
- Eurocentric perspective – Indo-Roman perspective.
- Nationalist historiography – Later studies & New perspectives.
- Need for searching for West Asian evidence in Indian sites (Gogte VD,1991)
- Pattanam
site-Location is a hamlet in Vadakkekara revenue village-Area 45
hectare—Life started here 1000 BC—Iron age.---Early Medieval—Late
Medieval.
According to Bishop Francis Roz, there is a place called PATTANAM, inhabited by Syrian Christians.
1) T.G.P.(Turquoise Glazed Pottery, indicating Mesopotamian links ( Parthian/Sassanian),2 Nos. )(Pattanam Excavation 2007 ) confirmed by Durban University, UK
2) Shreds of West Asian Torpedo Jars
3) Amphora Shreds (South Italy ) ( Excavation 2008):largest assemblage of Roman pottery in India, showing Roman role in Indian Ocean trade.
Other items ( Multicultural ).:
Roulette Ware –1 ;Indian Pottery—Large quantity; Semi-precious
Stone/Glass Beads numbering 10,000 unearthed in 2008; Beryl
Beads(2009) Pachaswarnam, local name; Cameo Blanks( Raw material
from Kerala coast); Fragments of Roman Glass Terracotta lamp ( Roman ?
);Ferrous Artifacts ;Early Chera copper coin (40Nos)— a clue for
monetization; Gold ornament (Claiming Italian origin); Gold string; Gold
bar,Bender; A huge Indian Pottery; Pottery with Post firing ( Ex.2007 )
Brahnmi script with a Cross(10mm) ;Chinese Ceramics(Broken) — showing
East connection.; Maritime (VANCHI )boat -6meter length; Wharf with
Canoe ( Jesus vessel-nick name);Botanical remains (including Frankincense) (Kunthirikkam)
Items, such as BRW shreds, an exquisite ornament, 1.89 gm golden
felling axe, show, metallurgy begun here, in the Iron Age phase itself.
These exiting discoveries, provided abundant material evidence, to what
was described by the Western authors and Tamil Sangam poets about the
flourishing trade between Muziris port in the Malabar coast and Rome ( via the Red Sea ports ),centuries before the beginning of Christian era.
The huge quantity of artifacts
unearthed and the radio-carbon analysis, they are subjected to, put the
antiquity of Pattanam, to first millennium B C. It provided valuable
collateral archeological proof to Malabar mission of St. Thomas.
Pattanam ( Muziris ) Findings : Vindication to St. Thomas Tradition
The ancient Syrian Christian community, inhabited, mostly in the Malabar coast (Kerala State
) of Indian Subcontinent, inherited a concrete, constant and
consistent tradition , for over 2000 years . As per this tradition, they
became Christians, by the evangelization work of no less a person than,
St. Thomas, one of the 12 apostles of
Jesus, in the year AD, 52, at Kodungallur ( Muziris ) port. Apart from
oral tradition, there are some ancient folklores, ‘ cultural remnants
with Christian Symbolisms and some structures in the specific spots,
where seven communities ( churches, Pallikal, in local language )
believed to have been established by the Apostle, and his traditional
tomb at Mylapore, no direct, contemporary evidence from Kerala,
available, to substantiate this belief. Though there are clear literary
references can be seen, in various ancient languages, they are not
contemporary as per the norms of the secular historians.
It is in this back ground that Kerala Council for Historical Research, a
State Government body of secular historians, in collaboration with
Archaeological Survey of India ( A S I ), conducted an Archeological
Excavation using all modern techniques at Kadungallur ( Muziris /
Pattanam ) , the Port of St.Thomas. The excavation
results, proved beyond doubts that there were hectic trade between this
port and Mediterranean ( and other ) countries , right from 500 B C.---
providing authority to St. Thomas tradition.
How this vindicates the tradition of St.Thomas Christians?
According to eminent historian and J N U Professor, Dr.Pius
Malekandathil, two important happenings, in the recent past, in the
field of history, viz. the Discovery of Vienna Papyrus ( 1985 ) and
Archaeological excavation at PATTANAM / MUZIRIS, revolutionized the historical research and disproved the antic-arguments against the St.Thomas Tradition, branding it as a myth. Also, a blow to the prejudicial and dogmatic approach of some historians of eminence, from Kerala. In his own words:
Recent researches ( by implication, Pattanam excavation ), have high
lighted the historical probability of the arrival of St.Thomas, in
India, particularly against the background of intensified maritime trade
happening between coastal Western India and Red Sea ports on the one
hand and coastal Western India as well as the ports of Persian Gulf on
the other. The physical presence of about 6 million St.Thomas
Christians, claiming their origin to one or another place of the 7
initial Christian settlements, set up by St.Thomas , as per their
tradition, often serves as ethno-historical evidence, adding
significantly to the historical claim of their oral tradition. From 3rd century onwards, the written sources from West Asia and the Mediterranean world started mentioning about the Christians of India and the Apostle, who had preached among Indians….
At a time when 120 vessels were playing between coastal Western India
and ports of Roman Egypt every year, there is no reason whatsoever, to
doubt about the veracity of their accounts. ( From his Seminar paper ‘
A commonwealth of Christians in Indian Ocean’. )
Referring to the next, discovery ‘Vienna Papyrus’, ( an
voluminous trade agreement entered between a seller in Muziris and the
buyer in Alexandria, for regular supply of merchandise ), Dr. Pius
says, this together with Muziris findings, provided historical status to
the coming of Pantaenus to India, as reported by Eusebius and Jerome.
Also, without any ambiguity we can conclude that the part of the world,
he visited , is our India., the scholarly conclusion reached by eminent
historian William Logan, 100 years back.( See the detailed discussion
of the topic, in Article No. 3 ) These archaeological and epigraphic
evidences give sanctity and historical status to the descriptions of
Eusebius and Jerome not only about the visit of Pantanus but also to the
Apostolate of St.Thomas and the first converts of the Apostle.
