Chapter 2 - Archaeological Indicators of Mediterranean Sea Trade

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Chronology
All the lamps of Hellenistic design reported from Taxila belong to the 1st-
3rd century A.D. (see ref. above). The dates of the lamps derived from the typology
of lamps or/and their associated contexts are as follows.
The lamps at Qana occur in the Middle Period dated between 2nd-4th
century A.D. (for dates of strata see Sedov 1992:113-115) The Hellenistic lamps
from Failaka have been placed in Hellenistic contexts (2nd century B.C. ?.Gachet and
Salles 1993: 73-75). The Hellenistic lamp from Balathal belongs to the uppermost
layers of the site dated to the 1st-2nd century A.D. (V.S. Shinde, Deccan
College personal communication). The copper lamp from Padri has been recovered
from layers dated to the 1st century B.C.-1st century A.D. (Shinde 1992:81). The
Hellenistic lamps from Baroda belong to layers dated to the 10-17 century A.D.
(Subbarao 1953:14-16, fig. 19) and are therefore beyond the scope of this study.
The date of the suspected copper lamp of Mediterranean origin at Vidisha is
indeterminate. The copper candlestick from Nasik comes from levels dated between
400-200 B.C. (Sankalia and Deo 1955:108-109,Fig 51.e). The imitation Mediterranean
lamps from Manikpatna come from the lowest levels of the site dated to the 1st
century A.D. (D.R. Pradhan: personal communication). The terracotta lantern found
at Yelleswaram has been excavated from Pd.II layers dated to the 1st-2nd century
A.D. (Khan 1963:9-11, 31). The Roman clay lamps from Arikamedu found by
Wheeler have been dated, on the basis of typology, to the 1st century A.D. (Wheeler
et al. 1946:101). The 'spouted potsherds' from Korkai resembling Mediterranean
lamps have been recovered from Pandya Period layers dated between 3rd cent. B.C.
and 2nd cent. A.D. (Damilica, 1970 Vol.1:50-54). The Roman lamp from Pong Tuk
(Thailand) has been dated, on recent revision, between 1st-6th century A.D. (Glover
1996:151):
9. Jewellery
Gold jewellery of Graeco-Roman design was excavated from Taxila by
Marshall (1975, Vol. II: 616-637). He does not mention whether the jewellery is an
importation The jewellery items were dated by Marshall to the 1st-2nd century A.D
Gold jewellery of Roman origin was discovered at Vellalore and Koneripatti in
Tamil Nadu (Photographs in pamphlet on exhibition of Roman antiquities held in the
Indian Museum, Calcutta, 1993). It was found associated with Roman coins (Turner
1989: 84).