Muziris

Muziris (in Roman sources, Mucciri in classical Tamil literature) was an ancient seaport and urban center in south-western India on the estuary of the Pseudostomos/Chulli River that existed from around the 1st century AD. Muziris has found mention in the classical Tamil Sangha literature and a number of ancient European historical sources.

In a massive flood of the Periyar (identified with Pseudostomos) in 1341 AD, Muziris was said to have been destroyed and the centre of commerce was shifted to other ports in the region. Soon the exact location of Muziris was forgotten. Until recently its location was hypothetically identified in Kodungallur in Thrissur district, Kerala. However, a series of recent archaeological studies conducted under the leadership of Kerala Council for Historical Research (KCHR) suggest that the location of the disappeared port could have been at Pattanam, a small town 2 km north of North Paravur, Ernakulam district and 9 km south of Kodungallur. Pattanam was also the first site in the coastal regions of Indian Ocean to yield archaeological evidence for Mediterranean, North African, West Asian and Chinese maritime contacts.

Read more about Muziris:  Etymology, Location, Decline and Fall, Project Muziris Heritage, Archaeological Excavations