A maritime archaeology team using high-resolution sonar has successfully mapped a series of submerged stone structures approximately 5 kilometers off the coast of Poompuhar, Tamil Nadu. The layout suggests a massive man-made harbor with breakwaters and loading docks dating back to the Sangam period.
These findings correlate with ancient Tamil literature that described the city of Kaveripoompattinam as a thriving international trade hub. The size of the structures indicates that ancient Indian maritime engineering was capable of building deep-sea ports to accommodate large merchant vessels from the Roman and Greek empires.