India's Ancient Roman Port of Muziris [30min]

The Romans were great travellers and are well-known for having established their culture across much of Europe, the Mediterranean and Northern Africa. There were places further afield that were important to them too, and although they were not able to annexe them as part of the Roman Empire, they were certainly regular visitors. One such place is the topic of this week's Unearthing Mysteries. Aubrey Manning goes in search of the ancient Roman port of Muziris on the Malabar Coast in Kerala, India. The Romans, by the 1st Century AD, were well-established sailors and knew how to take advantage of the monsoon winds to take them across the Arabian Sea to the Indian Coast. Along this Eastern coast they were able to trade with the Indians, and then, once the monsoon winds had changed direction, sailed back to the Red Sea, crossed Egypt and took their goods back to the heart of the Empire. Muziris was known to be located on the Periyar River which today runs to the sea through the environs of Cochin. It has been difficult to locate the precise location of the port in the area because it is a delta region, and the river has changed its course many times. Historically it was thought to be at present day Kodungallur. Recently though, archaeologists have found evidence that a little town nearby, called Pattanam, could be a more likely prospect.