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past climate changes and extreme weather events affect the ancient sea ports and construction of Tamil people.
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Impact of Climate Change and Marine Process on Ancient Tamil Civilization Presented by ARUNKARTHIK Ph.D. Research Scholar Department of Marine Science Bharathidasan University
Climate Change Temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, precipitation, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological variables in a given region over long periods of time.
atlandise dwaraka
Disappeared Civilization 1. The Maya • The classic example of a civilization that was completely lost. • The civilization's peak was during the first millennium AD. • The Mayan Empire's demise may have resulted from a mix of social and environmental factors, and would have been far more complex than mere food shortages due to drought.
2. Indus Valley Civilization • One of the greatest societies in the ancient world. • Between 3000 years ago, the cities crumbled and the people disappeared. • The Indus Valley at this point was in the process of gradually declining monsoons.
Objective of Study • To know the Ancient Civilization along the Tamil Nadu cost. • To know the Marine Process Impact on Ancient Tamil Civilization. • To understand link between Climate Change and Ancient Tamil Civilization.
Mamallapuram • Mamallapuram shore temple is one of the UNESCO “World Heritage Sites”. • These temples show the sculpture of Pallava period. • It is believed to have been built by Narasimhavarman II (Rajasimman AD 700-728 AD). • The architecture of these temples is widely considered to be the foundation for temples built in southern India. • Because the temple has been constructed to break the stones of the place where it is not crawling.
Mahabalipuram Seaport • Mahabalipuram is said to have been a seaport right from the beginning of the Christian era. • Mahabalipuram was well known to earlier mariner as 'Seven temples’ near by sea. • The Pallava embassy and a Buddhist monk sailed, to China from the port of Mahabalipuram. • The epigraphical sources mention that the Pallava kings had an active contact with Sri Lanka, China and Southeastern Asia.
A few roman coin of Theodosius supports this trade contact with the Roman world. • It is generally believed that out of seven temples originally constructed, all but “Shore temple” were submerged by the sea over a period of time.
Literature Evidence • An 8th century Tamil text written by Thirumangai Alwardescribed this place as “Kadal Mallai” where ship tide at anchor. • The Periplus has mentioned the rome trade from Sopatama (Mahabalipuram) by very large vessels. • European travellers in the 17th and 18th century have recorded this folk tradition.
Underwater Findings • The seabed off Mahabalipuram, in depths ranging from 6 to 15 m. • Granitic rocks with patches of coarse-grained sand, carpet the floor. • Several rectangular and square shaped structures appeared on most of the sonography, particularly in the northern part, showing groups and clusters of blocks arranged in a systematic pattern.
Poompuhar • Kaveripattinam (Poompuhar) is one of the major port cities of ancient Tamil Nadu. • It belongs to the Chola country. • This city, located on the Kaveri river delta, has been known by various names like Kaveripattinam, Complaint. • Because of its business importance, people came from many countries.
Literature Evidence • Sangam texts, specifically the Silappatikaram, Pattinappalai, Manimekhalai and Agananuruvividly describe poompuhar as the port capital of the early Cholas. • The Manimekhalaimention that poompuhar was swallowed up by the sea due to the wrath of goddess Manimekhalai, for not celebrating the festival of Indra. • Kaviarbumpattam -Chola port “Pattinappalai”.
Archeological Findings • The archeological find beneath the seas, off shore of Poompuhar. National Institute of Oceanography on March 23 of 1991 found the remains of a fort wall in the shape of horseshoe. • It was more or less in the shape of letter U. • Its length was 85 meters and height was approximately 2 meters. • The distance between one edge and other edge in the opening area was 13 meters.
Offshore Exploration • The survey revealed several isolated objects such as rock boulders at adepth of 7-8 m • Off Poompuhar, three major sites of interest were observed at water depth of 5.5 to 10.5 m and 23 m. • A few dressed stone blocks measuring 90×40×15 cm, • A semi circular stone were noticed in 5 to 8 m water depth off the river Cuvery's mouth.
Explorations on the north of Poompuhar Three structure identified with the help of side scan sonar surveys between 22 and 24 m water depth off Poompuhar were later confirmed by diving. The ecograms of the sub bottom profiler revealed a submerged paleo-channel of the river Cauvery on the north of Poompuhar at 10 to 15 m water depth, with a width of 300m to 500m, buried 20 m below the sea bottom. It is revealed a few dressed stone blocksin three general dimensions (30×20×5 m, 65×40×10 m, 60×35×10 m), and brought to light potsherds of grey ware and storage jars. The first structure was located about 3.5 km offshore at 23 m water depth.
Dating • The dating of that structure using carbon dating method was said to be of 3rd century B.C.
Korkai • Korkai is a small village in the Srivaikuntam taluk of Thoothukudi district in Tamil Nadu. • It is situated about 3 km north of the Thamirabarani River and about 6 km from the shore of Bay of Bengal. • Korkai was the capital, principal center of trade and important port of the Early Pandyan Kingdom. At that time, it was located on the banks of the Thamirabarani River and at the sea coast, forming a natural harbour. • Important for Pearls.
Literature evidence • It was called “Kapadapuram” in Kalithogai.
Archaeological Finding Korkai by archaeological excavations came in 1838. The findings of megalithic burial urns at Korkai indicates that it was fairly well populated during megalithic times. Carbon dating of the artifacts in the area indicates an age of 785 BC. Archaeologists have found ruins of chunku cutting factories, centres for split opening of pearl oysters at the site.
Shoreline changes -The shoreline changes are generally due to, • changes in sedimentary regime, either • eustatic sea level rise or • local tectonic activity generally induced sea level change. • These changes cause shoreline to advance or retreat.
Sedimentary pattern - depending on local hydrographic characteristics it could be depository or erosional -in turn, will affect the shoreline. • The sedimentary pattern may vary along the coast depending on Nature of coastline, Presence of river mouth, Change of climate zone along the coast and etc.
River Channel Migration • It is the geomorphological process that involves the lateral migration of an alluvial river channel across its floodplain. • This process is mainly driven by the combination of bank erosion and point bar deposition over time.
Extreme Weather Events • Coastal flooding is predominantly caused by storm surges that accompany hurricanes and other storms that push large seawater domes toward the shore. • Storm surge can cause deaths, widespread infrastructure damage, and severe beach erosion. • Storm-related rainfall can also cause inland flooding and is responsible for more than half of the deaths associated with tropical storms. • Climate change affects coastal flooding through sea level rise and storm surge, and increases in heavy rainfall during storms.
Mahabalipuram • The major and important factors affecting the Mahabalipuram coast is erosion, as severe erosion at Kalpakkam was observed due to longshore sediment drift. • The rate of coastal erosion in and around Mahabalipuram is 55 cm/year. • If the same rate has prevailed since the last 1200 years then the shoreline at that time might have been on the land.
Evidence from the stratigraphy these structures were destroyed by the coastal flooding during 950 AD and between 560 and 320AD. • Therefore it may be mentioned here that a the coastal erosion might have played a major role in the submergence of these structures.
Poompuhar • The actual reason for the destruction of the city asthe periodic sediment erosion and tsunamis. • Evidence in intertidal zone, hydrographic charts, all confirm the shoreline recession is at an average rate of 1m/year. • If the same rate continued for the last 2000 years, then ancient Poompuhar must have definitely been extended much further towards the sea from the present coastline.
Korkai • Palaeo-channels traced from the satellite imagery scenes all around Korkai indicate that the Thamirabarani river has shifted its course progressively southeast and earlier it had mixed with sea near Thoothukudi. • Interpretation of satellite imagery indicates that in the 1st and 2nd century CE, the Thamirabarani river might have flowed towards northeast from Eral, parallel to the coast and joined the sea south of Thoothukudi. • Korampallam tank, Peikulam, and Arumugamangalam tank might be the relicts of palaeo channel of the Tamiraparani river.
Within a short span of nearly 2000 years, now Korkai is nearly 6 Kilometers away from Bay of Bengal and 3 Kilometers north of Tamirabarani, which was once a port and in the banks of the Thamirabarani and Thoothukudi has no river. • Due to excessive sedimentation, the sea has receded about 6 km in the past 2000 years, leaving Korkai well inland today.
Climate Change on Human Health • The impacts of climate change include warming temperatures, changes in precipitation, increases in the frequency or intensity of some extreme weather events, and rising sea levels. • These impacts threaten our health by affecting • the food we eat, • the water we drink, • the air we breathe, and • the weather we experience.
