Ancient DNA study confirms West Eurasian genetic imprints in Kerala’s Pattanam

Structures at the archaeological site indicate a vast urban settlement that was continuously occupied for a long period, say experts

A brick platform near the wharf complex at Pattanam. Photo: Special Arrangement

The archaeological site of Pattanam, on the South-western coast in Kerala’s Ernakulam district, is believed by historians to be part of the ancient port city of the Muziris that played a key role in trade and cultural exchanges between India and the Middle East, North Africa and the Mediterranean regions.

The belief stems from the classical Greco-Roman records as well as Tamil and Sanskrit sources. Scientists and archaeologists have also found human bones, storage jars, a gold ornament, glass beads, stone beads, utilitarian objects made of stone, copper and iron, pottery, early Chera coins, brick wall, brick platform, ring well, wharf with bollards, and a six-metre-long wooden canoe parallel to the wharf structure about 2.5 m below surface level at Pattanam.

These archaeological evidences and ancient DNA analyses by CSIR-Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology (CCMB) scientists led by Kumarasamy Thangaraj and PAMA Institute for the Advancement of Transdisciplinary Archaeological Sciences (Kerala) P.J. Cherian strengthen the hypothesis.

“These structures indicate a vast urban settlement. The excavations suggest that the site was first occupied by the indigenous and ‘Megalithic’ (Iron Age) people, followed by the Roman contact in the early historic period. It appears that the site was continuously occupied at least from the 2nd century BC to the 10th century AD,” said Mr. Cherian.

Scientists used the DNA from the human skeletons to pinpoint the genetic ancestry of the people found in the region. “We have analysed the mitochondrial DNA of 12 ancient skeletal samples. We found that these samples show the presence of both South Asian and West Eurasian-specific lineages,” explained DST-Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, Lucknow, senior scientist Niraj Rai, also a co-author of the study.

“Most excavated skeletal remains from the Pattanam site were in a very fragile state due to the tropical, humid, and acidic soil conditions. However, we have adopted the best practices in the field of ancient DNA and successfully analysed the samples. The unique imprint of West Eurasian and Mediterranean signatures found in these samples exemplify a continuous inflow of traders and multicultural mixing in ancient South India,” said CCMB chief scientist and currently the Director, DBT-Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics, Kumarasamy Thangaraj.

“This is the first genetic data generated, so far, to infer their origin and genetic makeup of Pattanam archaeological site. The findings reinforce the early historical occupation of culturally, religiously, and ethnically diverse groups at the site,” said CCMB Director Vinay Kumar Nandicoori. The study has been published in the journal, ‘Genes’, said an official release on Friday.