Secrets of a Sunken City Revealed off India

Photo:  Poompuhar Beach, Tamil Nadu. Photo: M. Arunprasad / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain

Archaeologists exploring the submerged remains of an ancient port city off the coast of India have uncovered new evidence of its long-distance maritime connections.

The latest 18-day underwater expedition at Poompuhar, in Tamil Nadu, has revealed a fragment of a ceramic “torpedo jar” believed to have originated in West Asia.

Poompuhar, also known as Kaveripoompattinam, was once an important maritime centre of the early Chola kingdom. Much of the ancient settlement is now submerged beneath the Bay of Bengal.

Torpedo jars were distinctive narrow vessels used to transport liquids such as wine and oil aboard ships. According to the Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology, this is the first time a fragment of one has been discovered underwater at Poompuhar.

Divers also discovered four ancient terracotta ring wells on the seabed and recovered more than 250 pieces of pottery, including glazed ceramics.

The ring wells are particularly intriguing. As these structures would originally have been constructed on land to access freshwater, archaeologists believe their location could provide clues to an ancient river channel and the dramatic changes that have taken place along the coastline.

The team surveyed an area of almost two square kilometres using technology including side-scan sonar, multibeam scanners and remotely operated vehicles, alongside underwater archaeological work.

And there could be plenty more waiting to be discovered. Researchers estimate that only around 10% of the planned underwater exploration has so far been completed, with work expected to resume after the monsoon in January 2027.

Sources: Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology /Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology