Indo-Arabian Stone Anchor of Manikapatna, Odisha, East Coast of India: An Indicator of Maritime Contacts of Odisha

Numerous stone and iron anchors of various shapes and sizes have been brought to light during the maritime archaeological explorations along the Indian littoral. And anchors are proxies to maritime archaeological studies. The recent maritime archaeological studies along the Manikapatna Coast of Chilika Lake, Odisha, India, discovered one broken Indo-Arabian stone anchor. The archaeological excavation findings suggest that Manikapatna served as a port from the early historical period up to the 18th century CE. Besides the Indo-Arabian stone anchor, composite, kellick, one-armed anchor with stone stock and single hole stone anchors were previously documented along the Odisha coast. None of the anchors were accompanied by associated findings, nor from any strata, and therefore, these anchors differ in their period and usage. Nonetheless, some of the stone anchors are still used by the fisherfolk of Odisha in their traditional crafts. The finding of the Indo-Arabian stone anchor of Manikapatna has a great significance in the maritime history of Odisha. This paper discusses the Indo- Arabian stone anchor found at Manikapatna coast, its importance in the maritime history of Odisha and in comparison with other Indo-Arabian types of stone anchors of the Indian subcontinent.