Tamil Nadu Embarks on Third Underwater Archaeology Mission off Ancient Poompuhar

On a breezy Sunday morning, the Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology unfurled yet another chapter in its quest to map the lost maritime world of the ancient Tamils. The third phase of the underwater archaeological expedition set sail off the sands of Poompuhar, the once‑flourishing port city historically called Kaveripoompattinam.

Minister for School Education and Archaeology, Rajmohan, cut the ceremonial ribbon alongside Director of Archaeology V.P. Jayaseelan, noted scholar K. Rajan, former Joint Director R. Sivanantham, and Joint Director (in‑charge) V.P. Yathees Kumar. In a gesture that sparked a few chuckles among onlookers, the two senior officials also slipped into the sea, joining a team of trained divers and archaeologists for a brief descent.

According to Jayaseelan, the crew left a modest mechanised boat docked between Thirumullaivasal and Poompuhar and pushed roughly two kilometres into the Bay of Bengal. Their target? A depth of about ten metres where, if the currents cooperate, ancient harbour structures might still linger. “Visibility was a bit of a challenge,” he admitted, noting the water’s slight turbidity.

The timing, he explained, was no accident. The team carefully studied the seasonal patterns of ocean currents and the impending northeast monsoon, settling on a twenty‑day window that should maximise both safety and the chance of spotting relics. This marks the first such underwater foray under the current administration led by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay.

Previous dives along the Poompuhar shoreline were undertaken during the earlier DMK government, but this round promises more systematic coverage and, perhaps, a few surprising finds. As the divers prepare their gear and the boats check their engines, the excitement in the nearby villages is palpable—elderly residents recalling old tales of bustling ships, and young students eyeing the venture as a living lesson in history.

While the sea keeps many of its secrets, the hope is that each dive will pull another piece of the puzzle into view—ceramic shards, timber pilings, maybe even sunken anchors that whisper of trade routes linking South India to distant lands. For now, the mission is a reminder that history isn’t only buried under sand or stone; sometimes it rests silently beneath the waves, waiting for curious minds to retrieve it.