Ports and Trade Networks of the Tamiraparani Delta of Tamil Nadu
Dublin Core
Title
Ports and Trade Networks of the Tamiraparani Delta of Tamil Nadu
Description
The deltas of Tamil Nadu in southern part of India have several ports that acted as nodes of maritime networks.
Evidence of prehistoric hunter-gatherers is found in the Tamiraparani delta in the red sand dunes of Teri in the form
of microliths. In the Iron Age the Tamiraparani region witnessed megalithic settlements with burial sites. The
famous urn burial site of Adichanallur is located in this region. Evidence for early historic trade interaction is found
at the site of Korkai, which has been identified as the center of the early Pandyan kings. The port of Korkai is
discussed in the early Tamil literature and archaeological excavation has revealed evidence for urban activities. In
the Medieval period, Kayal became an important port of trade and it is referred to in the medieval textual sources. It
was a major center for horse trade and the temple of Tiruppudaimaraudir in the Tamiraparani region has evidence of
Arab horse traders in the form of mural paintings. The region is well connected with the Western Ghats and a trade
route connecting Kerala and Tamil Nadu region. The main research problem of the paper is to understand the nature,
function and foreland and hinterland networks of the ports of Tamiraparani valley. The paper discusses the
archaeological evidence of ports of the early historic and medieval periods (Korkai and Kayal) and the maritime
networks that connected with these ports using textual and archaeological sources. The data sources are collected
from the author's fieldwork, critical study of primary sources and collection of secondary literature
Evidence of prehistoric hunter-gatherers is found in the Tamiraparani delta in the red sand dunes of Teri in the form
of microliths. In the Iron Age the Tamiraparani region witnessed megalithic settlements with burial sites. The
famous urn burial site of Adichanallur is located in this region. Evidence for early historic trade interaction is found
at the site of Korkai, which has been identified as the center of the early Pandyan kings. The port of Korkai is
discussed in the early Tamil literature and archaeological excavation has revealed evidence for urban activities. In
the Medieval period, Kayal became an important port of trade and it is referred to in the medieval textual sources. It
was a major center for horse trade and the temple of Tiruppudaimaraudir in the Tamiraparani region has evidence of
Arab horse traders in the form of mural paintings. The region is well connected with the Western Ghats and a trade
route connecting Kerala and Tamil Nadu region. The main research problem of the paper is to understand the nature,
function and foreland and hinterland networks of the ports of Tamiraparani valley. The paper discusses the
archaeological evidence of ports of the early historic and medieval periods (Korkai and Kayal) and the maritime
networks that connected with these ports using textual and archaeological sources. The data sources are collected
from the author's fieldwork, critical study of primary sources and collection of secondary literature
Creator
V. Selvakumar
Publisher
The Museum of Underwater Archaeology
Date
2023
Language
English
Bibliographic Citation
Selvakumar, V. 2023. “Ports and Trade Networks of the Tamiraparani Delta of Tamil Nadu.” Edited by Jennifer Craig, Jay Mok, T. Kurt Knoerl, and Brian Fahy. In Proceedings of Fifth Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Underwater Cultural Heritage: Gwangju, The Republic of Korea, November 13-18 2023. The Museum of Underwater Archaeology. URL: https://apconf.omeka.net/exhibits/show/apconfproceedings/item/1991
Files
Citation
V. Selvakumar, “Ports and Trade Networks of the Tamiraparani Delta of Tamil Nadu,” Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Underwater Cultural Heritage Proceedings, accessed September 16, 2026, https://apconf.omeka.net/items/show/1991.