Chapter 2 - Archaeological Indicators of Mediterranean Sea Trade

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. Roman Swords
A double-edged iron sword with its pommel cast in shape of a bird's head was
found at the Iron Age site of Samad in interior Oman. According to Potts (1990:295)
the sword is an import from the Roman World. Roman swords have also been
recovered from Iron Age sites in Central Asia (Mukhamedjanov 1994:286). These
swords may have belonged to traders from the Mediterranean who ventured into the
isolated regions of Oman and Central Asia.
11. Beads
Beads of Roman Egyptian manufacture were identified by Francis, Jr. (1987)
among the beads from Arikamedu kept in the Pondicherry Museum. They have been
dated to the 1st century A.D. (Francis, Jr. 1987).
Beads made from blue glass of likely Mediterranean origin were excavated at
Brahmapuri (Sankalia and Dikshit 1952:117), Nevasa (Sankalia et al. 1960:446) and
Bhokardan (Deo and Gupte 1974:131). All of them can be stratigraphically placed in
the 1st-2nd century A.D. (discussion on stratigraphy of Western Indian sites in chp. V).
A 'mosaic' glass bead 'imported from the Roman Empire was identified among
the excavated finds from the port of Mantai, Sri Lanka (Carswell 1992: 200). Date not
given.
12. Statuary
Red Sea region In the temple area of the port-site of Berenice on the
Egptian Red Sea coast was found a bust of Serapis and another unspecified 'head of
Roman statue' (Meredith 1957:70). Date indeterminate.
Indian Subcontinent: An alabaster statuette of Heracles or a figure in the
guise of Heracles excavated at Charsada (North-West Pakistan). According to
Wheeler (1962:123), the excavator of the site, the stattuete is of "crude Mediterranean
type and it or its artist was an importation from the Greek world." Statuette is dated
to 2nd century B.C.
A unique alabaster sculpture of the Roman God of Love, Eros, within a hollow
container, was recovered during exploration of the site of Junnar, Maharashtra (Deo
1992:43). Cimino (1994:183-184) describes the piece as "an unicum of its type,
probably linked to Orfic beliefs." Date indeterminate.
A number of plaster medallions with sculpted Greaco-Roman figures (Ares,
sleeping Maenad) have been recovered from Begram in Afghanistan. Dated between
1st century B.C. - 3rd century A.D. (Cimino 1994: 214-219).
A bronze figure of the Roman sea-god, Poseidon, was excavated from
Brahmapuri, Maharashtra (see section on Copper/Bronze objects) Figure stylistically