Poompuhar Underwater Survey: Exploring Sangam Era Maritime History
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: Ancient Indian History (Sangam Age, Ancient Ports like Poompuhar and Korkai, Chola Dynasty, Pandya Dynasty); Art & Culture (Sangam Literature); Science & Technology (Applications of marine exploration technology like Sonar, ROV).
Mains:
General Studies Paper 1 (Indian Heritage and Culture): "Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times"; "Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India" (Maritime history, ancient trade).
General Studies Paper 3 (Science & Technology): "Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life" (Application of technology in archaeology).
Key Highlights from the News
The first phase of the underwater archaeological survey near Poompuhar in Mayiladuthurai district, Tamil Nadu, has been completed.
Kaveripoompattinam, the famous port city of the Sangam-era, was known as Poompuhar.
The Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology (TNSDA) is conducting this survey to find submerged archaeological remains.
Modern marine exploration equipment like remotely operated vehicle (ROV), side-scan sonar, and sub-bottom profiler were used for the survey.
The team also re-examined sites discovered decades ago by the renowned archaeologist, S. R. Rao.
In 2022, TNSDA, in collaboration with the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), conducted a similar survey at Korkai in Thoothukudi.
Currently, the data obtained from this survey is being analyzed.
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