Q. What was Arikamedu in ancient India?
Answer: A coastal settlement and trade centre
Notes: Arikamedu is an archaeological site near Puducherry, Tamil Nadu coastline. Excavations began in the 1940s. Indo-Roman trade flourished here from 2nd century BCE to 7th century CE. Major exports included textiles and beads. Roman amphorae and Mediterranean pottery were found at the site. Arikamedu was mentioned in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, a 1st-century CE Greco-Roman text describing maritime trade.