Submerged City May Be Older Than Mesopotamia

Hindustan Times ^ | 12-3-2003 | Utpal Parashar

[blam]

Submerged city may be older than Mesopotamia

Utpal Parashar
Dehra Dun, December 3

A submerged coastal city near Poompuhar in Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu, is the focus of a major expedition being conducted jointly by the Indian Naval Hydrographic Department (INHD) and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

Both the organisations are trying to piece together the city's past, which some noted marine archaeologists consider to be the birthplace of modern civilisation. The once flourishing port city is located about one mile off the Nagapattinam coast.

"We have been able to locate a section of the city at a depth of 7 m and will soon start operations to recover objects that will help ascertain its past," said Rear Admiral K.R. Srinivasan, chief hydrographer to the Indian government.

English marine archaeologist Graham Hancock, who conducted an underwater exploration in the area in 2001, believes that the Poompuhar site could be older than Sumeria in Mesopotamia, where modern civilisation is believed to have originated nearly 5,000 years ago.

The 2001 expedition was funded by Channel Four of Britain and Learning Channel of the US in association with the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Goa.

It led Hancock to surmise that the city could have been submerged by a tidal wave as high as 400 ft somewhere between 17,000 and 7,000 years ago.

Other experts like Glenne Milne, a geologist at the University of Durham, UK, agree with Hancock. Video footage of the site shows that the submerged city near Poompuhar was far superior to constructions found in Harappan sites.

Although NIO had conducted similar offshore expeditions in the area in the late 1980s and early 1990s — and discovered objects like ring wells, brick structures and megalithic wares — it did not evince much interest till Hancock revealed his findings.

The new venture by the INHD and ASI may put an end to the debate on the submerged city. It could also rekindle a new interest in locating other such submerged towns and shipwrecks along India's coastline.

[blam]

"The Quest for the Origins of Vedic Culture: The Indo-Aryan Migration Debate."

I think this site is a few thousand years older than this migration. My opinion is that the Aryan migration was around 5,600BC or less.

[little jeremiah]

Thanks - and the finding of ancient cities in India or around is really no surprise if one knows at all the timelines of the Vedas. I don't know what you've read, but the Puranas give timelines since the Bhagavad Gita was spoken - since the Battle of Kurukshetra, and it is just about 5,000 years ago. I've even read lists of dynasties immediately after that, up to the birth of Buddha (about 2600 years ago, IIRC). And people with computers have matched up particular astronomical events mentioned in certain parts of the Vedas (Rig Veda comes to mind, I could be wrong) and one particular stellar or celestial event mentioned could only have happened something like 26,000 years ago - but was written down as witnessed.

[RightWhale]

Such a simultaneous impact would be next to impossible. If they mean spread over several hours, maybe. I find my 12" Replogle Globe to be really handy for questions like this.

[blam]

"If they mean spread over several hours, maybe. "

Yup, more like 24 hours to hit all the areas claimed.

[Cool Guy]

This is on the east coast, much to the south (9degress north of equator). I believe, I know someone currently living in that city (Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu).

[Cool Guy]

See the map in post #25. Nagapattinam is closer to "kanyakumari", on the coast. Poompuhar, is mentioned in a lot of ancient literature from that area, as a affluent port and a flourishing city. I can try to dig up more information on this later this weekend.

[thackney]

A submerged coastal city near Poompuhar in Nagapattinam

Did you notice they stated that first line, as if they really thought that would help tell you where it was?

[blam]

"I can try to dig up more information on this later this weekend."

It would be appreciated...thanks for the input. Lots of old stuff underwater there.

[Lady Jag]

Thanks, Cool.

Poompuhar

Poompuhar was once a major port of the Chola Empire.  The original city was submerged by the sea and at present only a small village is there.  Thiss ancient city is also the birth- place of Tamil epic - Silapathikaram.  The ancient glory of this place has been revived by the Government of Tamil Nadu.

An art gallery depicting scenes from the Silapathikaram was opened in 1973.  Other monuments are the Nedungal Manram, the Pavai Manram, the Elagni Manram and the Kotrappandal.

Puhar known to Ptolemy and Pliny, was a planned city built over 2000 years ago.   Excavations show an extent of planning that would make most modern planners envious.  An archaeologists delight, Poompuhar is a town for those who like to wander amidst history and take a stroll through time.  For the more prosaic, a fine beach and calm waters offer good sea-bathing.

[Lady Jag]

Poombuhar(40 kms)

Poompuhar, once the biggest port on the east coast, was at its peak under the earlier Chola Kings. The Kaveri, merging with the bellowing sea, was known as Puhar but to the exquisite beauty of the port town, it came to be called "Poompuhar". Another name of Poombuhar was Kaveripoompattinam. The greatness of the city is brought out in some of the poems in Sangam literature and also by Silappathikaram and Manimekalai among the epics. The life and time of the Tamil classic 'Silappathikaram' has been recreated at Poompuhar to the immense pleasure of the Tamils. In order to conjure up the decorative ornamental scenic beauty of Poombuhar, the whole Art Gallery is made to present the environment and atmosphere of the 2nd century A.D. by the creation of the llanji Mandram, Paval Mandram, the Buddhist School, Arugan Kottam, Tirumal Kottam and Murugu Kottam, etc. A fine beach and calm water offer good bathing. The Department of Tourism offer shell shaped cottages to the Tourists in the Poombuhar Tourist Complex, at a moderate tariff.

[Lady Jag]

Navy, ASI to jointly explore Poompuhar

Wednesday, 03 December , 2003, 18:53

Dehra Dun: The ruins of Poompuhar, a flourishing port town dating back to the Chola period off Nagapatnam in Tamil Nadu, has been located under a joint project undertaken by the ASI and the National Hydrographic Office.

"We have located this town seven metres under sea and will begin diving operations this year in consultation with the ASI," Chief Hydrographer Adm K R Srinivasan said on Wednesday at a press conference on the eve of "Navy day".

"The town sank over a period of time due to global warming," he added. He said the town, located within a mile off the coast in the Trancobar area, had sank over a period of time due to global warming.

The Admiral said the National Hydrographic office had also taken up the work of locating the remains of 200 ships wrecked since the 17th century in the eastern and western coast.

"Last year, we located one such shipwreck in the east coast. We have three more such projects on hand", said Adm Srinivasan. "These are marine archaeology projects and we recover valuable items like paintings and porcelain which are evaluated and documented by the Archaeological Survey of India," he said.

Sify.com

[Cool Guy]

I was wrong about the Location of Poompuhar in the map in #25. It is actually located closer to "Nagore".

The part that is bothering me is the dating of the destruction of this city. Poompuhar, was a city during the Chola times. That must be well in the A.D's. Chola's were the people who colonized, Burma, Indonesia and Malay penninsula during their reign. They had a vast kingdom in the early A.D's. Also "Silapathikaram" and "Manimekalai" was written just around the time of Jesus or maybe a couple of centuries either way of A.D.

It is possible this city existed from 7000B.C , but I am sure it existed well past 1000B.C., or "Silapathikaram" and "Mamemekalai", were describing the mythical/ancient city that went under.

The temples in and around this area are HUGE and beautiful. I did visit this area in Jan 1998. Was worth the trip.

[Cool Guy]

I am sure there are atleast 4 or 5 major cities off the coast of Tamil Nadu.

[blam]

"I am sure there are atleast 4 or 5 major cities off the coast of Tamil Nadu."

We need to get some archaeologists working underwater there.

[swarthyguy]

BUMP!

[Cronos]

9,500 B.C. -- that's OLD, but this site seems to be on the south eastern part of the Indian continent, while that one is on the central western part and at a tentative date of 15000 B.C., faaaaaaaaaar older.

[Cronos]

Not very certain, was the time period c 7000 B.C. just after the ice age or before? If it was a hot time, then the south would have been too hot and too much jungle. If not then it would be quite possible.

[carpio]

BTTT

[SunkenCiv]

NOTE: from 2003.

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