Archaeological findings throw light on trade links with south-east Asia

DNA India ^ | Monday, August 23, 2010 | unattributed

[SunkenCiv]

Several archaeological materials excavated from various sites in Thailand have been found to be "stunningly" similar to ones found in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh throwing light on trade with south east Asian countries centuries ago, a senior Archaeologist said. Many materials including seals used by Kings, beads, and pottery with brahmi inscriptions were of Indian origin and these could be assigned to second-third century AD, D.Dayalan, superintending archaeologist, Temple Research Project, New Delhi, told PTI. "Quite interesting among the findings is a gold plaque with brahmi letters.The letter found on the plaque like "ti" (in looped form) is found only in (excavated materials) Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh," he said. The plaque belonged to a shipman (Naaviga which later became Navigator) Brahaspathi Sarma,name common only to South India. This was found in the ruins of a Buddhist temple in the Northern district of Wellesley (Thailand). This also proved that India had trade with the country centuries ago, he said... Many seals had similar Brahmi letters to those excavated in areas like in South India. In addition to seals and coins, rouletted wares of Indian origin were also found... Similarly, in India, excavation at Kottapattinam (in Tamil Nadu) located on the East coast yielded many shreds of celadon produced from the Si Sachanarai Kilns of Thailand. The bowls had carved decorations and the Lotus pattern,was the most common. Large glazed and unglazed jars similar to those in Thailand were also found in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, he said.

[SunkenCiv]

(fig.8) Goddess Manimekala-Isis-Aphrodite in Sanchi style, Pompeii, 1 st century AD

[SunkenCiv]

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[colorado tanker]

Obviously there was a lot of interchange between India and S.E. Asia, or we wouldn't have this:

[JimSEA]

Where exactly is “Wellesley” in Thailand??

[nkycincinnatikid]

There is a former province Wessesly in north west Maylasia on the border with Thailand. So much that is printed is b#llSh#t that you just never know what portion is correct.

[Red_Devil 232]

I din’t know where it is but they have a college.

[SunkenCiv]

Maybe the writer was confused because of the vines growing all over the buildings.

[SunkenCiv]

One of the lower-budget (Readers Digest) archaeology videos around here has a segment on the (successful) search for a former huge-ass city mentioned in Chinese annals and dating from somewhere in that prime period of 500 BC to 500 AD (and maybe a while thereafter), and gone without a trace. The archaeologist doing the modest dig found a motherlode of bones, identifiable Sri Lankan artifacts, and of course, loads of Buddhist stuff. Buddhism wasn’t all that popular in India, so it spread it out to keep from gettin’ killed. And none of them were vegetarians either (not even the Buddha, although he eventually stopped eating altogether, until he died for some reason), until sometime in the Middle Ages.

[JimSEA]

Makes sense. Might be a Tambon (relatively small subdivision of a province or changwat) Wessesly in Thailand taking a Malay pronunciation.

[bigheadfred]

Thanks for the link disguised as a pic of a nekked girl. Most interesting. Follow the yellow brick road.

[Cronos]

A bit off:
1. Buddhism WAS popular in India and spread over the entire country during the rule of Ashoka the great who ruled over nearly all of what is now India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Afghanistan and eastern Iran. But this decayed under later kings as Buddhism relied initially on state patronage
2. Yes and no about the non-veg --> Buddhists were encouraged not to eat it and the Buddha stayed away from it (but didn't say to do the same), and died of eating spoiled meat.

[SunkenCiv]

Ashoka spread Buddhism by the sword, which kinda summons up Kevin Kline’s character in “A Fish Called Wanda”.

Buddha died from eating bad mushrooms, but he was also 80 years old and had fasted off an on for decades after he sought enlightenment by abandoning his wife and child.

[Cronos]

Well, ok, I'll agree that there isn't direct way of proving that it was / wasn't spread by the sword, but history books normally indicate the latter

Also, Indian Buddhist i.e. the older Theravada tradition does state that the Buddha did die from eating spoiled meat while checking up on your answer, I find that Mahayana tradition states that he died of eating spoiled mushrooms and another conclusion (more modern) is that he died of old age. Ah, well, since this was 2500 + years ago, any one of these could be true.

[SunkenCiv]

:’) The most interesting thing about Ashoka may be his Pillars, which he erected along the frontiers of his empire. Each one is a sort of Rosetta Stone, containing the same message (I think it’s Buddhist in part, something like, “fail to convert, or eff with me in any other way, and I’ll shove this big post right up your keister”) but in whatever the local language was at the time.

Two, maybe three, maybe more, remain in Afghanistan, and are in Aramaic.

[SunkenCiv]

• The Edicts of King Ashoka
• Are the Taliban Descended From One of Ten Lost Tribes of Israel?
• Wari-Bateshwar One Of Earliest Kingdoms

[SunkenCiv]

There’s a link? ;’)