The Pompeii Lakshmi and Keezhadi Excavations: Rethinking India's Ancient Trade and Cultural Influence...

 A Tale of Two Discoveries

Two distinct yet interconnected archaeological finds—the Pompeii Lakshmi and the Keezhadi excavations—offer compelling insights into India's ancient global trade networks and cultural exchanges.

While Keezhadi, an archaeological site in Tamil Nadu, has unearthed a sophisticated urban civilization dating back to the Sangam era (6th century BCE - 3rd century CE), the Pompeii Lakshmi, a carved ivory statuette found in the ruins of the Roman city of Pompeii, highlights India’s deep commercial and artistic ties with the Roman world.

Together, these discoveries challenge outdated historical narratives and provide a fresh understanding of India's pre-modern globalization, trade routes, and artistic syncretism.

Keezhadi Excavations: Unveiling an Urban Civilization

The Keezhadi archaeological site, located in Tamil Nadu’s Sivaganga district, has been a game-changer in South Asian archaeology. Excavations conducted by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) since 2015 have revealed:

• Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions on pottery, indicating early literacy and the presence of a writing system.
• Brick structures, drainage systems, and wells, suggesting a highly organized urban settlement.
• Spindle whorls and beads, pointing to a thriving textile industry.
• Glass and shell artifacts, possibly imported, hinting at long-distance trade.

The discoveries at Keezhadi indicate that the southern part of India had an advanced civilization contemporaneous with the Mauryan and early Satavahana periods in the north.

One of the most debated aspects of Keezhadi’s findings is the absence of explicitly Hindu religious artifacts. Some critics have questioned whether this suggests that Hinduism, as it is understood today, was not the dominant belief system of the region.

However, this debate arises from a fundamental misunderstanding of both the history of Hinduism and the nature of archaeological evidence.

The Myth of "Hindu" Artifacts: Understanding Ancient Religious Practices

It is crucial to recognize that "Hinduism" is a modern term that encompasses multiple religious traditions, including Shaivism, Vaishnavism, Shaktism, and folk traditions that have evolved over thousands of years.

In the ancient world, religious identity was not as rigidly defined as it is today. People in Keezhadi may have practiced forms of ancestor worship, nature worship, or early versions of Shaivism or Shaktism, but these traditions may not have left behind recognizable religious markers like temple structures or idols.

Additionally, many early Hindu deities were nature-based and abstract, rather than the anthropomorphic representations seen in later Hindu iconography.

Thus, the absence of what modern scholars define as "Hindu" artifacts does not mean Hinduism was absent in the region—rather, it suggests that religious practices were fluid and evolving.

The Pompeii Lakshmi: A Proof of Ancient Indian Trade Networks

While Keezhadi provides evidence of urban sophistication in Tamil Nadu, the Pompeii Lakshmi demonstrates India's extensive trade relations with the Roman Empire.

What is the Pompeii Lakshmi?

The Pompeii Lakshmi is an intricately carved ivory figurine discovered in the ruins of Pompeii, Italy, a city famously destroyed by Mount Vesuvius’s eruption in 79 CE.

• The figure represents a heavily adorned woman, resembling Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity.
• The iconography, however, is a blend of Indian and Greco-Roman styles, suggesting a cross-cultural influence.
• An inscription in Kharosthi script on the base suggests the statuette may have originated from northwestern India or Gandhara (modern-day Pakistan and Afghanistan).

How Did an Indian Artifact Reach Rome?

The statuette likely traveled through India’s vast maritime and overland trade networks that connected it to the Roman world.

1. The Role of the Satavahanas and Western Satraps

   • During the 1st century CE, the Satavahana dynasty and the Western Satraps (Indo-Scythians) controlled major trade routes in India.
   • Ports like Barigaza (modern Bharuch, Gujarat) and Muziris (Kerala) were important trade centers where Roman merchants exchanged gold, wine, and olive oil for Indian spices, textiles, and ivory.

2. The Economic Boom of Indo-Roman Trade

   • Pliny the Elder, a Roman historian, wrote that India drained Rome’s treasury by importing luxury goods worth 100 million sesterces annually.
   • Roman merchants used both land and sea routes to trade with India, including:
     • Overland routes through Mesopotamia and Arabia.
     • Maritime routes via the Red Sea and Indian Ocean, detailed in the Periplus Maris Erythraei, a 1st-century CE merchant guide.

3. The Ivory Trade and Artisan Guilds in Rome

   • Indian ivory craftsmanship was highly valued in Rome.
   • Romans even established a guild of ivory workers (Eborarii) due to the high demand for Indian ivory in furniture, jewelry, and religious artifacts.

The Pompeii Lakshmi’s journey from India to Italy is a testament to the flourishing Indo-Roman trade and the globalized economy of the ancient world.

Artistic Syncretism: The Blending of Indian and Greco-Roman Styles

The Pompeii Lakshmi's iconography is unique because it represents a fusion of Indian and Greco-Roman artistic traditions.

• While the figure resembles Lakshmi, her seated posture, semi-nudity, and attendants suggest influence from Greco-Roman depictions of Venus (the goddess of love and beauty).
• Similar cross-cultural influences can be seen in Gandhara art, where Buddhist sculptures depict Greek-style drapery and facial features.

Such syncretism indicates that ancient societies did not operate in isolation but were in constant dialogue with one another.

What Keezhadi and Pompeii Lakshmi Tell Us About India’s Ancient Past

1. India’s Civilization Was Advanced and Urbanized

• Keezhadi’s planned city and literacy prove that urban settlements in Tamil Nadu were contemporary with Vedic, Mauryan, and Satavahana civilizations.

2. Religion in Ancient India Was Diverse and Evolving

• The lack of "Hindu" artifacts does not indicate an absence of religious beliefs but rather suggests that early South Indian spiritual practices were different from later temple-based Hinduism.

3. India Was a Major Player in Global Trade

• The Pompeii Lakshmi and Roman trade records confirm that India had strong economic and cultural ties with the Mediterranean world.
• The wealth generated from trade with Rome may have contributed to the prosperity of early South Indian kingdoms.

4. Cultural Exchange Was Mutually Influential

• The fusion of Greco-Roman and Indian styles in the Pompeii Lakshmi suggests that both civilizations influenced each other’s artistic traditions.
• This undermines the Eurocentric view that ancient civilizations developed in isolation, instead highlighting India’s role in shaping global history.

A Shared Heritage Beyond Borders

Both Keezhadi and the Pompeii Lakshmi challenge conventional historical narratives.

• Keezhadi proves that Tamil civilization was urbanized, literate, and advanced long before colonial-era historians acknowledged it.
• The Pompeii Lakshmi shows that India’s artistic and cultural exports reached the far corners of the world through thriving trade networks.

Rather than debating whether Hinduism is “foreign” or “indigenous,” these discoveries encourage us to appreciate the fluid, interconnected nature of ancient civilizations.

History is not about isolated cultures—it is about shared human experiences, and these findings remind us that India has always been at the heart of global exchanges.