Hancock's Mahabaripulum "lost city" is old news

[Guest guest]

There has been a certain anount of "interest" in the (UK) media regarding

this since Hancock's London Press Conference on Wednesday 10th April 2002.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/south_asia/newsid_1923000/1923794.stm

 

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,2-263376,00.html

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4391512,00.html

 

http://www.independent.co.uk/story.jsp?story=283664

 

http://portal.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2002/04/11/wtemp11.x

ml&sSheet=/news/2002/04/

 

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,5-2002161628,00.html

 

However, this is actually old news:

 

Mohapatra, G. P. and Prasad, M. H, 1999, Shoreline changes and their impact

on the archaeological structures at Mahabalipuram. Gondwana Geological

Magazine. vol. 4; pp. 225-233.

 

Abstract

----------

Morphological analysis of the Mahabalipuram coastal tract indicates that a

backwater body stretching linearly for about 25 km, west of Mahabalipuram,

was a part of the open sea during higher sea level conditions, possibly in

the Holocene (?) period. The beach/dune complex, on which Mahabalipuram is

situated, can be inferred to have been initiated as a bar at the Palar River

mouth after the last glacio-eustatic rise and stabilisation of sea level.

The coast has been emerging since then with the overall recession of the

shoreline with some local exceptions. Under these morphological conditions

and rock exposures in the offshore area, existence of a port on the eastern

side in the open sea is not possible due to the limited technical know-how

of port construction and naval architecture during ancient times. Ancient

ports of Kaveripattinam, Arikamedu, Palur, Konark and Tamralipta along the

east coast of India were situated either on the river or creek mouths or on

backwaters connected by the navigational approach channels. The backwaters

west of Mahabalipuram could be the ideal site for the historical port with a

lamp pillar on the hill top serving as lighthouse. Punjeri, a nearby village

with archaeological importance could have been the port town. The shoreline

during post glacio-eustatic period has been an emerging one and possibility

of submergence of any township at Mahabalipuram is remote. However, the

shore temple complex situated on a granitic promontory on the coast presents

a different scenario owing to its location. The effect of wave erosion due

to the advancement of shoreline up to the base of shore temple is clearly

seen. It got arrested with the construction of groyne walls around the

temple. During southwest monsoon the wave fetches are prominent and bring

about erosion on the northern side and deposition in the southern side of a

promontory due to divergence of wave orthogonals in the south. This

phenomena caused extensive erosion to the shore temple. Some remains of the

collapsed structures get exposed periodically in the intertidal zone in the

immediate north of the shore temple. This may mark the northern extension of

the temple complex. Offshore bathymetric surveys east of the shore temple

revealed some submerged rock platforms very near to the shore temple which

could be the eastern extension of the shore temple complex. Though definite

count and layout of the collapsed structures could not be established, this

paper attempts to bring out evidences for submerged structures if any, as

this place was described by the European Sailors as "Seven Pagodas".

 

There is further coverage/discussion on the Hall Of Ma'at messageboard:

 

http://www.maat.paradoxdesigns.com/maat/list.php?f=1

 

Please feel free to distribute this email to anybody you feel may be

interested.

 

All the best,

 

John