Two wharves at Poompuhar: A Technical Study 

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N. Athiyaman 
  Associate Professor, Centre for Underwater Archaeology Tamil University,
        Thanjavur-613 005

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A wharf of 3rd century BC excavated at poompuhar of Tamil Nadu by
Archaeological Survey of India during 1962-63 and a similar wharf unearthed
in the subsequent excavation by Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology
during 1997, both exposed along the course of a palaeochannel of river
Kaveri are taken up for study. The structural similarities and their
functional viability are studied. The existence of such wharves corroborates
the plan of ancient Poompuhar, which is splendidly explained by the
Pattinappalai, one of the Sangam texts. The study stresses the need for
further extensive excavations along the course of the palaeochannel to open
up new vistas in the technology of marine structures of ancient Poompuhar.