1 to 2 hours
Arikamedu
Three kilometres south of Pondicherry, an ancient port where Roman traders exchanged Mediterranean goods for Indian cotton and gems. Roman amphorae and Arretine pottery excavated here confirmed the oldest known Indo-Roman trade route.
Arikamedu is an archaeological site on the south bank of the Ariyankuppam River, three kilometres south of central Pondicherry. It is not a dramatic ruin. There are no standing columns or ornate carvings. What it is, for those drawn to ancient history, is one of the most historically significant sites on the Indian coast — a place where the classical Mediterranean world and South India met in trade across two thousand years ago.
The history
The site was active as a port settlement from roughly the 2nd century BCE to the 3rd century CE. During the height of the Indo-Roman trade (1st century BCE to 1st century CE), Roman merchants came here to buy fine cotton cloth (muslin), gems, pearls, and spices, paying with gold coins, wine, olive oil packed in distinctive ceramic amphorae, and luxury goods including Italian Arretine pottery (the red-glaze tableware of Roman dining).
The Roman historian Pliny the Elder complained that Rome was haemorrhaging gold into India for luxuries: the site at Arikamedu is one of the physical confirmations that he was right.
The excavation
Sir Mortimer Wheeler excavated Arikamedu in 1945 and identified it as the Indo-Roman trading post described in ancient texts, including the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea. The finds go beyond the famous amphorae and Arretine tableware: excavations also recovered Roman gold, silver, and bronze coins, glass vessels with decorative inlays, semi-precious stone and glass beads, terracotta figurines, and the everyday tools of a working craftsmen's settlement. Most of these objects are now in the Pondicherry Museum on Saint Louis Street. The museum is a better place to see the material than the site itself.
The site today
The archaeological area sits on the river bank in the Ariyankuppam village area, about 7 km from central Pondicherry. It is a quiet, open site with low earthwork remains and information boards. There is very little shade, so an early morning visit is strongly recommended, and October to March is the most comfortable season. Entry is free. A short walk from the site brings you to the Jesuit Mission House, a colonial-era building worth a brief look if you are already in the area. Serious archaeology enthusiasts will find the visit worthwhile; casual visitors may prefer to see the finds at the museum and come here briefly for the historical context.
Getting there
Auto-rickshaw from central Pondicherry: 20 to 25 minutes, approximately 100 to 150 rupees one way. Tell the driver the Ariyankuppam bridge or Arikamedu archaeological site.
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