First century Spanish pottery found in Pattanam

[Adsos Letter]

Source: India Today
M.G. Radhakrishnan

The ongoing archaeological excavations in Pattanam region near Kochi in Kerala have now made another significant recovery; shreds of an amphorae (wine jar) of Spanish origin belonging to the period between 1st century BC and 2nd century AD.

Remnants of a Spanish jar used to contain fish sauce too have been recovered from here. Experts have said that such remnants from the Catalan region of Spain of the period were being recovered for the first time in India.

Two years ago excavations in Pattanam had made news when remnants of Roman amphorae were recovered from here for the first time from India's Western coast. The excavations now have recovered part of the handle of Spanish amphorae.

"We expect to get more soon" said P.J. Cherian, director, Kerala Council of Historical Research (KCHR) which has been doing the excavations in Pattanam village since 2007 in collaboration with Archaeological Survey of India. The amphorae are supposed to have been used by Mediterranean traders during their sea travel to the Kerala coast looking for spices like pepper.

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/73920/India/First+century+Spanish+pottery+found+in+Pattanam.html

[apocalypsehow]

1. Kick & rec.

:thumbsup:

[aquart]

2. Roman fish sauce was exported everywhere.

People really liked it.

[Hekate]

3. Busy, busy trade routes in the days when the world was much bigger than it is now. KnR...

... of course.

Hekate

[Ghost Dog]

4. Yes. And Mediterranean and Atlantic Hibernia was a very sophisticated

part of the Roman world. And a land of extensive producers, traders and navigators, as is still the case today.

Nb. The same also applied in Islamic Caliphate and al-Ándalus times.