National

Pattanam Excavations: History, Controversy, and Artefacts

Seventy-year-old Gopi, a daily wage worker in Pattanam, located in Kerala’s Ernakulam district, is proud of himself. He believes he has lent a hand to a seminal project that involved discovering the region’s past. When the Pattanam excavations started, Gopi was one of the many manual labourers hired to participate in the grand excavation project undertaken by the Kerala Council for Historical Research (KCHR). “It was a bit difficult to understand why they have had been digging the ground; what is there so important about broken pieces of pots, coins and things like that? Later, I understood that it was such an important process of discovering our own past,” says Gopi. The excavations at Pattanam, conducted by the KCHR, were halted in 2015 after the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) suspended its excavation license. Hindutva organisations alleged that the project, led by PJ Cherian, aimed to fabricate evidence supꦕporting the claim that St. Thomas, one of Jesus Christ’s apostles, arrived in the region. According to popular belief, St. Thomas reached the ancient town of Muziris (present-day Kodungalloor) in AD 52, bringing Christianity to India. Right-wing groups often challenge this claim, citing a lack of archaeological evidence. They have also targeted Cherian, questioning his Christian identity. From 2007 to 2015, the KCHR conducted nine seasons of excavations at Pattanam, located four km east of the Arabian Sea coast. The site revealed artefacts dating back to 500 BCE, spanning the Iron Age, early historic, medieval and modern periods. The Early Historic period (third century BCE to fifth century CE) seems to be the most active phase of the site. Currently, KCHR archaeologists are studying the artefacts, excavated from the location. The trenches are covered for now, following the suspension of the excavation license and the excavation site is not visible. The project office, a renovated house, displays posters and photographs of the excavation. A museum for the artefacts is also in the making.