Using advanced multi-beam sonar, underwater archaeologists have located a well-preserved shipwreck 60 meters deep near the Lakshadweep archipelago. The vessel, identified as an Indo-Greek merchant galley from the 2nd century BCE, was carrying a diverse cargo of silver coins, amphorae, and Gandharan-style Buddhist statues.
This find provides crucial physical evidence of the maritime Silk Road, showing that Hellenistic-Indian artistic and religious exchange was heavily dependent on naval routes. The presence of Prakrit inscriptions on the cargo crates suggests a collaborative trade network between Yavanas and local Indian guilds.