Archaeologists say ancient Indians had maritime links

Excavations at the Kerala state in southwest India suggest that its ancient habitants may have had maritime links with the Mediterranean and China over 2,500 years ago, the Hindu newspaper said Wednesday.

Archaeologists dug up several wooden fragments from boats dating back to around 500 B.C. at Pattanam, a town along the Malabar coast, where earlier signs of habitation from the Iron Age period have been unearthed.