Kolkata, Sep 2 (SocialNews.XYZ) IIT Kharagpur, the Mumbai Port Authority (MbPA) and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) have launched a joint research project to investigate how historical climate fluctuations and sea-level changes shaped maritime trade and human activity around Elephanta Island and India's western coast.
According to a statement issued by IIT Kharagpur on Wednesday, the interdisciplinary project will combine advanced earth-science techniques with archaeological evidence to reconstruct past sea levels, climatic conditions and maritime activity from the Early Historic to Medieval period. The Mumbai Port Authority has committed Rs 1 crore towards the initiative.
The interdisciplinary initiative is expected to provide new scientific insights into the relationship between environmental change, coastal geography, ancient settlements and maritime networks, said the institute in the statement.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts a global sea level to rise from 0.4 to 0.8 metres by the end of 2100. For the western coast of India, the rise might be even up to 1 metre, which will not only submerge all the low-lying areas of Mumbai but will also affect areas around the Elephanta Island that hosts 1500-year-old iconic rock-cut caves of Lord Shiva, a UNESCO heritage site.
The project will address the effect of climate change and sea level on maritime trade activity from Early Historic to the medieval period, i.e., 1500-1000 years before present, and will have an important bearing on the future effect of sea level due to climate change.
Recent excavations led by Abhijit Ambekar of the ASI have uncovered evidence suggesting that Elephanta Island was an important centre of human activity around 1,500 years ago. Archaeologists unearthed a massive 165-square-metre, eight-metre-deep rectangular reservoir connected to a stepped junction, indicating sophisticated freshwater storage systems on the island.
The excavation also yielded giant storage jars, Indo-Mediterranean amphora fragments, turquoise glazed ware and Mesopotamian torpedo jars, pointing to extensive maritime links. Submerged wharf structures, intertidal habitation remains and multiple watermarks on port installations further suggest that Elephanta was integrated into wider maritime trade networks rather than serving solely as a religious site.
"We would like to reconstruct the past climate and sea level by using state-of-the-art scientific tools available at IIT Kharagpur. The modern terrain, with two hills divided by a tidal valley surrounded by low-gradient, mangrove-fringed foreshores, makes the island highly sensitive to even minor sea-level shifts. We would like to drill several cores around Elephanta and other parts of the west coast and study the sediments for radiocarbon dating, sediment sources, and oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen isotopes for reconstructing both climate and sea level in the past," said Prof Melinda Bera of the Department of Geology & Geophysics, IIT Kharagpur, and Principal Investigator of the project.
"We will also analyse the archaeological potsherds and jars for their strontium and neodymium isotopes as they can pinpoint and trace the exact locations of the soils used for manufacturing these pots and jars," said Prof V. Ravikant, a co-investigator and expert in radiogenic isotope studies.
"Indeed, Elephanta opens up a new avenue for scientifically studying the ancient maritime trade of India,” said Ajay Yadav, a research scientist and expert in ancient trade currently working abroad and associated with the IIT group.
Source: IANS
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