Integrating Historical cartography, written accounts and satellite images for the construction of past landscapes: the case of Madayi (Kerala, India)

The coastline of southern India has historically been a central node within an important commercial network that brought the West (and the Mediterranean) into contact with the Far East. After the fall of the Roman Empire, other commercial actors came into play and Arab and Jewish merchants began to travel the ‘Western’ routes, as attested by written sources at least starting from the 9th century AD. In this context, archaeological surveys conducted in Madayipara (Kannur District, Kerala) have unearthed evidence of a complex network of settlements in the delta of the Kuppam River in Taliparamba which has almost disappeared today. The natural landscape has also changed over time, as the coastline slowly advanced and rivers changed their courses as well as their function. Traces of this hub or entrepôt can be found in the rich body of historical sources and cartography of the region, which suggests the presence of lively ports often associated with Jewish and Muslim communities, as well as in later maps drawn by European explorers. The historical sources, together with satellite imagery and results from archaeological surveys, can help us reconstruct a complex settlement pattern, fully embedded within the trade networks of the medieval Indian Ocean.