Hidden world (Clockwise from left) The ruins of striking Roman arches at Arikamedu; and fishing boats along Ariyankuppam river. S.S. Kumar & Zac O’Yeah

COVER STORY FINDING AN AMPHORA IN ARIKAMEDU An archaeological site near Puducherry holds the key to India’s ancient relationships with the rest of the world. That is, if you can find the place first BY ZAC O’YEAH <> Their minuscule size t’s as if I were trying to hitch a ride from made beads the perfect Puducherry to ancient Rome. No one export product — fancy wants to go to Arikamedu. Eventually, a Arikamedu style I rickshaw driver shows mercy by agree- ing to take me for ₹350. It’s twice the microbeads have been amount I paid 10 years ago but I accept his found as far as Bali pricey offer, because I recall the archaeolog- ical site being a seven-kilometre drive from Puducherry, deep inside a jungle. ing amphorae, it is possible to pinpoint not The rickshaw crosses the bridge over Ari- only the place of origin but even date of ex- yankuppam River, which is more of a la- port, as the styles changed with fashions. A goon, but the suburbs of Puducherry conti- normal-sized amphora held the equivalent nue to sprawl in a multi-storeyed, concrete of 36 of today’s bottles and considering that landscape rather than giving way to the huts imported wine costs more than ₹1000 the that I remember. As we turn off the Cudda- value of each amphora (at a time when ship- lore highway, the road meanders past Le Pa- ping was so much trickier) is easy to radise Inn AC Bar — which I’m absolutely imagine. sure wasn’t there before. Women sell fresh catch squatting in the roadside dust and a A coin-sized hole narrow path between boxy houses leads to But I’m especially interested in inspecting what’s left of the jungle. We bump on a dirt the Arretine tableware that Wheeler identi- track through rubbish-strewn greenery, the fied: a standardised high-quality pottery occasional cactus stares back aggressively, that was used throughout the Roman Em- until the discreetly green-painted Archaeo- pire from 1st century BCE to 300CE. I recall logical Survey of India fence comes into seeing, on a previous visit, a fragment sight. No information board welcomes me to stamped with the name of a prominent pot- Arikamedu. A handful of cud-chewing cows ter based at Arezzo in Italy, suggesting that are the only other visitors. the plate was manufactured around 25CE. The fence protects a striking ruin with ve- Since it belonged to a limited period product ry Roman arches. But it’s actually the re- line it was significant for dating all the finds, mains of a 250-year-old French mission, prompting Wheeler to declare: ‘Upon the built around the time the first rudimentary imported Mediterranean wares the whole excavation took place. French scientist Guil- chronology of the site, and its special impor- laume Le Gentil observed that villagers were one clearing, myopic as I am, I come upon a then is the quay that used to jut out into the given a free tourist brochure that deals most- tance therefore to Indian archaeology, already busy recycling the ruins, which ex- meadow of bluish flowers, which on closer river and from where, 2,000 years ago, In- ly with shopping in Puducherry. I enquire if depend.’ plains why there’s no ancient town above inspection turns out to be mineral water dian spices, cloth, jewellery and other luxu- there’s anybody, perhaps a curator or direc- I locate a handwritten label, ‘Italian Terra ground. But looking closely at the mission’s pouches and the explanation for their pre- ry products were shipped to European tor, who knows anything about the Arikame- Sigillata Plate (imported from Roman Em- walls, I notice two different types of bricks: sence is in a nearby grove — empty whiskey markets. du objects, but he says no. pire)’, but the holder is empty. Despite all one of a familiar size used even today, whilst bottles and discarded plastic cups. A roman- The museum displays a whimsical collec- the sari-clad museum guards keeping a others are flatter, larger slabs. I let my fin- tically inclined couple scamper out of the Unsolvable riddle tion of European leftovers like rotting pia- sharp eye on tourists to ensure that nobody gers slide across their rugged surfaces. I feel undergrowth. I don’t know whether to apol- Holding on to that thought and with my nos and a pousse-pousse type of car from clicks a pic, somehow the treasure of the col- I’ve seen similar flat bricks at historical plac- ogise for disturbing or take the uncle ap- shoes slowly sinking in the mud, crabs run- the 18th century powered by two natives lection has disappeared. I’m in mortal es around the Mediterranean. It seems the proach and explain that historical places ning amok whenever I move, I’m struck by who ran behind pushing it. There’s also a shock. There’s also a display of Roman coins mission was built with looted bricks. should be used for history purposes only. how, without appropriate signage, this re- room housing Arikamedu discoveries in- — of emperors Gallienus Antoninianus ( But in the end, I tell myself that if Romans mains an unsolvable riddle for anybody who cluding an informative display of beads cu- three pieces) and Tetricus Antoninianus (a Romans and the romantics drank wine here, then why shouldn’t a cer- isn’t an expert. It’s not as if nobody has rated by a British archaeologist 35 years ago, single piece) – but the occasional empty In the absence of signposting, the way to ex- tain romantic tradition continue? thought of doing something about it. One making it a valuable museum piece in itself. coin-sized hole suggests that things have plore the site is to follow a path that leads off At the riverfront one may descend at scholar, S. Suresh, discusses in his book Ari- Their minuscule size made beads the per- gone missing here as well. from the ruin through the jungle and to- one’s own risk by an old rope down the kamedu: Its Place in the Ancient India-Rome fect export product — fancy Arikamedu style There’s still enough evidence left for us to wards the river. Butterflies are disturbed by scarp. It’s dicier than expected and I tumble Contacts a plan for a Tamil trail to highlight microbeads have been found as far east as buy the idea that Roman influence was pre- my steps and flutter up from the grass. Souls to the bottom of the steep embankment, sites that in ancient days traded with the Vietnam and Bali. sent. However, along with his path-breaking of Romans? Reborn as tropical insects? Ac- which is basically a mud-caked flat. As I West. There has also been talk about an on- discoveries, Wheeler spread an inflated nar- cording to excavation reports, somewhere crawl in the black goo, I’m amazed at the site interpretation centre. Years ago, a UN- Wheeler’s discoveries rative of Arikamedu being a full-fledged Ro- underneath are the foundations of a 45- fact that nothing has been done to develop ESCO World Heritage tag was proposed and Luckily, I’ve been doing some additional man port. Later archaeologists, such as Vi- metre-long 1st century warehouse, sur- this as a tourist destination. Yet it directly Arikamedu is currently on a tentative list of reading. Finds made by the French in the mala Begley who excavated rounded by streets and drains and pits — the links two of the greatest ancient civilisa- ‘Silk Road Sites in India’. But nothing has late 1930s suggested that Arikamedu might comprehensively in 1989-92, disagreed with latter perhaps used for dyeing the fine mus- tions, the Indian and the Roman. As if to happened and when someone built a mu- be a ville romaine that drew the attention of him. According to Begley’s findings, Arika- lin cloth that Tamil bards called ‘milky mist’. prove this, I spot pot shards in the mud and seum nearby, he was forced to shut it down Mortimer Wheeler, Britain’s celeb archaeol- medu was inhabited and had lapidary indus- Archaeologists found imported Roman ta- layers of bricks in an archaeological jigsaw because it’s illegal for private citizens to col- ogist who at that time headed the ASI. try as well as pottery production long before bleware and wine amphorae shards suggest- puzzle laid bare by recent cyclones. This lect and display archaeological finds. Wheeler excavated in 1945 and announced any foreigner set foot here — which is prob- ing that somebody who lived here had extra- Back in town, where the French left an oc- his discoveries with great enthusiasm: his ably why Romans came in the first place to vagant habits, but there were also traces of cidental esprit behind in 1954, I head for report has many quotable if factually dicey trade wine and fine-quality plates. The rich bead-manufacturing, signifying that the har- As I crawl in the black Rue Saint Louis where a merchant’s 18th statements such as the claim that Arikame- bead finds suggest an indigenous export- bour housed a mixed population of indige- <> century villa has been converted into the Pu- du ‘represents the site of a considerable bu- oriented business that perhaps started as goo, I’m amazed that nous artisans and foreign businessmen. ducherry Museum. Unfortunately, there’s ried town on the Coromandel coast.’ No early as the 3rd century BCE; that is, at a The site runs half a kilometre along the nothing has been done not much information available here either: ‘considerable’ town has been unearthed, time when Rome was an expanding city river and reaches 200 metres inland at its to develop this as a when I ask the man at the ticket counter, but Wheeler’s team catalogued scores of state but not yet a vast empire. widest, and it may harbour more secrets who speaks a tiny bit of English, if I can buy shards representing almost every imagina- than archaeology has so far uncovered. In tourist destination a catalogue or an ASI excavation report, I’m ble kind of Mediterranean pottery. Regard- Finding an amphora in Arikamedu disprove the agency of Indian traders. Scholars therefore postulate that In some recent texts, ironically, the excitement over a Roman port more importance is given to In- in India may be exaggerated. Ra- dians in the Roman empire, which jan Gurukkal argues in his paper tilts the entire affair in the oppo- Classical Indo-Roman Trade: A site direction, despite there being Misnomer in Political Economy only fragmentary evidence for Ta- that the ‘history of India’s mari- mil merchant settlements in Egypt time contact with Rome, generally — though this paucity could be described as Indo-Roman trade, due to the perishability of Indian has been a prominent theme of goods: spices, textiles. One of the discussion in her historiography, rare Indian objects discovered exciting several historians with within the Roman Empire, signifi- the imaginary notion of a mari- cantly enough in a merchant’s time civilisation…’ His conclusion house, is an ‘ivory statuette found is that it should, rather than in the Roman town of Pompeii, ‘trade’, be called ‘Roman-Indian which was buried in lava’ as noted exchange, an exchange of serious by Partha Mitter in his Indian Art, imbalance, because of its being which means that this sculpture — between an Empire and a region some experts suggest it is Lakshmi of uneven chiefdoms’. Himanshu and others that it’s a Yakshi — Ancient find (Clockwise from above) The road leading to Prabha Ray, author of The Archae- would have reached Italy before Arikamedu; stones of different ology of Seafaring in Ancient the volcano’s eruption in 79CE. colours excavated at Arikamedu South Asia, who was personally Might it have come from Arikame- perfumes, flowers and garlands ought to contain a splash of Medi- on display at Puducherry present during the excavations du? It’s an archaeological fact that could be bought. It was a lucrative terranean wine, lashings of soma museum; some of the excavated helmed by Begley, elaborates that wines produced in the Neapolitan business, for the sale of fermented (can be substituted with beer), idols. Zac O’Yeah & T. Singaravelou a ‘myth debunked by the recent region found their way here. and alcoholic drinks continued and an olive. excavations is the identification of throughout the day and well into On my last morning in town, I the site as an Indo-Roman trading Soma and an olive the night.’ decide to see what the mouth of station… More significantly, the Drinking in the sight of the am- But the bar at my heritage hotel the Ariyankuppam River, which archaeologists will think if they archaeological record confirmed phorae shards, I can’t help but offers a mocktail named ‘Arikame- the Romans sailed up, looks like. I dig here? that Arikamedu occupied a nodal wonder what wine meant to an- du’ — a mix of mango, cranberry presume I’ll find it if I walk south The sea of bottles is a curious position in the inland, coastal and cient Tamilians. Some scholars ar- and lime juices — which feels off, for as long as the beach stretches, analogy to the amphorae shards transoceanic networks.’ gue that imported wine was for considering what heady beverag- so I head down the seaside prome- just about a thousand metres the consumption of Romans set- es the place seems to have served nade. Where Goubert Avenue upriver, but on the other side. Yakshi in Italy tled here, yet Tamil poets eulo- up in ancient days. If one were to ends, the beach continues past a The other side of history, one The alternative conclusion may gised ‘cool and fragrant wine’ that name a cocktail ‘Arikamedu’, it popular bar called Seagulls to the paulin camp from where a kuc- net out again and again. Occa- might add. But with a little sign- then be that Arikamedu was es- was guzzled from golden pitchers old French pier which is off-limits cha road leads further. sionally the tempestuous sea posting Arikamedu might deve- sentially one of India’s early inter- ‘that have been fashioned with for tourists. After another kilometre I see reaches his neck and I worry for lop into a centre for understand- national ports, making local elites high artistry’ such as mentioned fishing boats moored in a creek. his safety. Nearby, three men on ing India’s ancient relationships so wealthy that they could enjoy in the 56th poem of the Purana- Sea of bottles There’s a hillock I climb for a bet- a motorboat trawl the inlet, with the rest of the world — from Drinking in the the occasional amphora of wine, nuru. Sanskrit texts mention that <> Behind the pier, black boulders ter view of the Ariyankuppam, shrieking ‘yahoo!’ I climb down Europe to the Far East, for the build the temples that Tamil Nadu each Indian village had a tavern, sight of amphorae have been stacked to stop erosion. only to bump into a defecating to where the Ariyankuppam and Arikamedu site was obviously is famous for, and patronise San- while cities had entire quarters re- I climb up the rocks and stumble gentleman. A sewage pipe vomits the ocean meet and some youths close to the heart of it all. gam poetry. The references to In- served for bar-hopping. Jeannine shards, I can’t help upon a narrow street in front of out a dark waterfall into the river, are finishing a pre-lunch whisky do-Roman affairs in ancient Tamil Auboyer, in Daily Life in Ancient but wonder what huts belonging to fisherfolk — men as if all the puke of Puducherry’s bottle while filming themselves The author is fascinated with places poems prove the existence but not India, provides a vivid description are mending nets, women dry fish winter party season is chan- dancing surrounded by hun- where tourists don’t go, especially if necessarily permanence of alien of ‘rooms filled with seats and wine meant to on the asphalt surface. I cross a nelled this way. dreds of beer empties — which there’s something to eat that he settlements, and certainly do not couches, and also counters where ancient Tamilians stretch of sand to a makeshift tar- A wading fisherman throws his makes me wonder what future hasn’t tried before.