Musiri-Alexandria Trade Contract:
An Archaeological Appraisal

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K. Rajan 
Department of Archaeology
Tamil University, Thanjavur-613 005

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The maritime trade contact between South India and Mediterranean world is
well known. The publication of a trade contract executed between the Musiri
and Alexandria traders in 2nd century AD throws much light on the nature and
mode of trade goods exported from the Musiri port. The celebrated Sangam Age port which belongs to the Chera king played a significant role in catering
to the needs of the Romans in the early Christian era. The execution of the
trade contract in Greek on both sides of a papyrus in fact gives a valuable
clue to the natural resource area and the route that was followed in course
of their maritime trade. 

This paper attempts to bring out the natural resource bearing zones in Chera
country and its role in the development of trade and trade routes in Tamil
Nadu and Kerala. The occurrence of a coin hoard, Roman artefacts,
Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions, gemstone industry iron and the textile industry
along the trade route further strengthen the viability of this trade contract. The recent onshore and of-shore excavations carried out in the sites like Arikamedu, Alagankulam, Karur, Poompuhar and Kodumanal add much stimulus to the already existing literary evidence. The state formation, social mobility, literacy and the level of technology are probed in the backdrop of the proliferation of trade in the early part of the Christian era.