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Stone anchors of India: Findings, classification and significance.

DRS at CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography

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Title Stone anchors of India: Findings, classification and significance.
 
Creator Tripati, S.
 
Subject stone anchors
explorations
 
Description Various types of stone anchors have been observed during inshore and offshore explorations along the east and west coasts of India. The earliest stone anchors of India have been recorded from the Harappan sites (3rd millennium BC), but their shape and size do not resemble the anchors found during maritime archaeological explorations since 1986. The stone anchors until now recovered from many sites of India can broadly be classified into four types: namely composite, Indo-Arabian, ring stone (mushroom) and single hole. Among all these types of anchors the Indo-Arabian are largest in number and were associated with the Arab traders who were also involved in the horse trade. Moreover, Indo-Arabian stone anchors have been found in a datable context as well reused as lintels, mooring bits, pavements, etc. Composite and single-hole stone anchors are the oldest ones. Composite stone anchors have been reported from Gujarat and Maharashtra coast; ring stone anchors from Gujarat and Goa coast and single hole and Indo-Arabian anchors from both east and west coasts of India. Evidences suggest that stone anchors were used in Indian waters from the 3rd millennium BC to the mid 20th century along with iron anchors which were introduced by the Europeans. Stone anchors resembling Indian have also been reported from the Persian Gulf, African countries, Sri Lanka and Maldives, which suggest maritime contacts and transfer of knowledge and technology. This paper details the finding of stone anchors, their role and significance in the maritime history of India
 
Date 2014-06-11T11:27:20Z
2014-06-11T11:27:20Z
2014
 
Type Conference Article
 
Identifier In "Proceedings of the 2nd Asia-Pacific Regional Conference on Underwater Cultural Heritage, Honolulu, Hawaii, 12-16 May, 2014. Ed by: Tilburg, H.V.; Tripati, S.; Walker, V.; Fahy, B.; Kimura, J.; , vol.2; 2014; 973-986
http://drs.nio.org/drs/handle/2264/4545
 
Language en
 
Rights Copyright [2014]. All efforts have been made to respect the copyright to the best of our knowledge. Inadvertent omissions, if brought to our notice, stand for correction and withdrawal of document from this repository.
 
Publisher APCONF 2014 Organizing Committee