Stone anchors along the coast of Chilika Lake: New light on the maritime activities of Orissa, India

摘要

Since the beginning of maritime archaeological studies, several types of stone anchors have been either retrieved or located along the coast of India. These stone anchors show their evolution to the development and have contributed immensely towards the growth of maritime trade. With increase in the carrying capacity of ships, changes made in their sizes and construction patterns, subsequently, the size and shape of the anchors also got modified. On the basis of anchor findings, an attempt has been made to trace the economic and cultural relationships among people of different regions. Maritime archaeological explorations have been carried out along the Chilika coast, Orissa to locate the remains of the maritime activities. Onshore explorations have yielded stone anchors along with hero stones at Kanas, pottery, coins and structures at Manikapatna and Palur, and navigational traditions were observed around the villages of Chilika Lake. These anchors are different from other anchors reported from various parts of India. Kanas is the first instance where stone anchors have been found along with hero stones. This communication deals with stone anchors of Kanas and their role in the maritime activities of Chilika Lake region.