Aimed at collating data on lost and other relics from elderly people who live in 60 local bodies on the banks of the Periyar, PAMA Institute for the Advancement of Transdisciplinary Archaeological Sciences - a non-profit research organisation which is spearheading the Muziris excavations, has readied a mobile app.
This comes close on the heels of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) becoming a prominent partner in the 11th season of the excavations at Pattanam and Mathilakam villages in Ernakulam and Thrissur districts.
“The app developed by PAMA research centre will come in handy for volunteers/interns who could visit elderly people and collect data on relics of ancient settlements here,” said P J Cherian, Director of the organisation.
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The registration fee for the unique endeavour is ₹200.
It will help garner more details on the topography, geography, history and anthropological aspects of the riverbasin settlements of yore. The volunteers will be trained in recording the data they garner from elderly people and also to document details they get of the remaining monuments. Many items of historical relevance would have been passed away as insignificant by the elderly and others. Our aim is to help trigger their childhood memoirs, he said.
The PAMA Institute has been striving to identify the settlement pattern in the river basin, to help unearth more data on the ancient port of Muziris to where goods from across Kerala were ferried through waterways. The presumption is that Kerala — which is in itself is rich in biodiversity, could have been similar to the Indus Valley Civilisation, official sources said.
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In addition, programmes will be organised to help ward members and others at the local level to enlighten their horizon about the region’s history and culture. Evidence has so far established Muzris’ linkage with 40 cultures from across the globe, said R.V.G. Menon, Chairman of PAMA.
The Muziris region was considered the Queen of the Oceans for at least four centuries, having been a hub for export and import. The institute decided to reach out more since coastal archeological sites are often studied in isolation, sans the role of the hinterland in trade. Moreover, Keralas river systems are unparalleled and their navigation helped cultural exchanges, Mr Cherian said.
The institute will help the volunteers with accommodation and food. For more details visit www.pama.org.in or call 95440 49495.