Finding traces India's maritime history

March 30 2007 at 12:54PM

New Delhi - Scientists from India's National Institute of
Oceanography have found artefacts near Dwarka island, off the coast
of west Indian state Gujarat, indicating links between ancient
Indian and Roman civilisations, reports said on Friday.

"During excavation, we found artefacts dating back 1500 BC which
indicate that India's maritime history is much older and Indians
used to travel by sea even before Vasco da Gama touched Indian
shores," K H Vora, deputy director of marine archaeology and project
leader, told news agency PTI.

"During archaeological excavations at Dwarka, the western-most part
of India, we came across amphorae shreds of Mediterranean origin,"
Vora said, referring to remnants of clay containers used by Romans
to transport wine.

"This indicated that Indian and Roman civilisations have
similarities with each other through sea routes," he said.

"What is interesting is that we found a few artefacts just 65 to 80
centimetres below the sea level," said A S Gaur, an archaeologist,
with the mission.

The institute's marine archaeology department considered the find to
be a milestone in marine history.

Excavations began in 1982 around Dwarka island, a mythological
summer palace of Lord Krishna, the incarnation of Vishnu, one of the
supreme gods of the Hindu religion.

Scientists studying millennial shoreline changes on the western
coast of India, in Gujarat's Gulf of Kutch, have also discovered
several stone anchors dating back 2 000 years. - Sapa-dpa

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