Marine Archaeological Museum, Poompuhar

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Marine Archaeological Museum, Poompuhar
Sillapathikaram Art Gallery in Poombuhar, Tamil Nadu.jpg
Poompuhar Museum Art Gallery
Marine Archaeological Museum, Poompuhar
Former name
Puhar or Kaveripoompattinam
Established1997
Location Poompuhar
Coordinates 11°08′35″N79°51′22″E / 11.143133°N 79.856016°E / 11.143133; 79.856016
Type Maritime museum

Maritime Archaeological Museum, Poompuhar, is a maritime archaeological site museum located at Poompuhar (erstwhile Kaverippumpattinam or Puhar) in the Mayiladuthurai district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu on the southern side of Coromandel Coast.

Contents

Location

Poompuhar is a town located at the mouth of the Cauvery River in Tamil Nadu, India. It served as a major port city during the Chola period. [1] The town is situated approximately 24 km (15 mi) from the district headquarters, Mayiladuthurai, 21 km (13 mi) from Sirkazhi, 24 km (15 mi) from Tharangambadi, and 279 km (173 mi) from the state capital, Chennai. The nearest railway station is Mayiladuthurai Junction, and the nearest airport is Tiruchirappalli International Airport (IATA: TRZ, ICAO: VOTR). [2] [3]

The State Archaeological Museum is located near Poompuhar Beach. [2]

Displayed objects

Poompuhar is extensively mentioned in Sangam literature(circa 300 BCE to 300 CE), [4] a collection of Tamil poetic works. Texts like Silappathikaram [5] and Manimekalai [6] provide vivid descriptions of the city's grandeur, its bustling markets, and its cultural life. [4] The ancient city believed to have been partially submerged in the sea. In 1981, [7] [8] the Archaeological Survey of India conducted preliminary underwater explorations in the area. An Underwater Archaeological Site Museum was inaugurated in 1997 [9] in Poompuhar to display artifacts recovered during these explorations. It is the only museum of its kind in India dedicated to underwater archaeology. [2] [10] [11]

Artifacts have been recovered from both offshore and onshore explorations and excavations in the Poompuhar region. These include Roman rouletted pottery, terracotta figurines such as Buddha heads and Buddhapadam (Buddha footprint in English), large bricks, beads, Roman and Chinese pottery, stamped pottery from Alagankulam, wooden artifacts, ring wells, megalithic objects, Chinese jars, British-era cooling jars, silambu (anklet in english), lead ingots, Buddha statues, stone sculptures of Ayyanar, and ship models. [12] [2]

Visiting hours

Buddisht Monastery ruins Buddisht Monastery ruins, Poompuhar.jpg
Buddisht Monastery ruins

Visitors are allowed to this museum from 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m Firday holiday. [2]

Future Archaeological Work

On 15 March 2025, the Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology has announced plans for a series of deep-sea archaeological excavations off the coast of Poompuhar. These excavations aim to uncover submerged structures and artifacts, shedding light on the city’s maritime trade and cultural significance during the early Chola period. [10] [13]

Pallavaneswaram excavations Pallavaneswaram excavations (2).jpg
Pallavaneswaram excavations

Previous explorations, conducted in collaboration with the National Institute of Oceanography in the 1980s and 1990s, revealed man-made structures, brick formations, and artifacts dating from the 2nd century BCE to the 4th century CE. Discoveries included shipwrecks, laterite stone structures, black-and-red ware ceramics, and remnants of Dutch and British ships. Scholars expect that the upcoming excavations will provide further insights into Poompuhar’s seafaring heritage, as documented in Sangam literature and accounts of foreign travelers. [10] [13] [14]

References

  1. ↑ Ramasamy, S. M.; Saravanavel, J.; Palanivel, K.; Kumanan, C. J.; Rajasekhar, D. (2020-08-10). "Detection of submerged harbour using GEBCO and MBES data, in the offshore region of ancient port city Poompuhar, South India" (PDF). Current Science. 119 (3): 526–534. doi:10.18520/cs/v119/i3/526-534 . Retrieved 2025-12-02.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Marine Archaeological Site Museum - Poompuhar | Department Of Archaeology". www.tnarch.gov.in. Archived from the original on 2024-11-09. Retrieved 2025-12-02.
  3. ↑ "தமிழர் கடல் நகரம் பூம்புகார் 15 ஆயிரம் ஆண்டுகள் பழமையானதா?". BBC News தமிழ் (in Tamil). 2023-01-26. Retrieved 2025-12-02.
  4. 1 2 "Learn Sangam Tamil". Learn Sangam Tamil. Retrieved 2025-12-02.
  5. ↑ சிலப்பதிகாரம் (PDF). Tamil Virtual Academy. Retrieved 2025-12-02.
  6. ↑ சிலப்பதிகாரம் (PDF). Project Madurai. Retrieved 2025-12-02.
  7. ↑ Rao, S. R. (1991). "Poompuhar: An Ancient Port Town" (PDF). Ancient Ports and Harbours. Retrieved 2025-12-02.
  8. ↑ Jayakumar, S. (2004). "Submergence of Poompuhar" (PDF). National Institute of Oceanography – INCHOE Proceedings. Retrieved 2025-12-02.
  9. ↑ "Way2News Tamil" . Retrieved 2025-12-02.
  10. 1 2 3 "Yet another step towards unearthing the glorious past of Poompuhar, the capital of early Cholas". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 2025-03-28. Retrieved 2025-12-02.
  11. ↑ Kumar, N. Vinoth (2022-02-12). "ASI revives underwater archaeology wing, TN can now unearth Poompuhar". thefederal.com. Retrieved 2025-12-02.
  12. ↑ "Poompuhar". Archived from the original on 2017-09-01. Retrieved 2017-08-21.
  13. 1 2 Fernando, Antony (2025-03-15). "Deep-sea archaeological excavation between Poompuhar and Nagapattinam announced in Tamil Nadu". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 2025-12-02.
  14. ↑ Charan, N. Sai (2025-08-31). "T.N. Archaeology Department to begin underwater archaeological survey off the coast between Poompuhar and Nagapattinam in mid-September". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 2025-12-02.
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