Arikamedu, 3 km south of Pondicherry, is one of the most significant Roman-era archaeological sites in Asia. The settlement was active between roughly 200 BC and 200 AD as a port where Mediterranean traders came to buy Indian textiles and pepper in exchange for wine, metals, and luxury glass. Excavations have yielded Roman amphora sherds, Italian pottery, beads, and coins.
The site today is modest — a low mound near the Ariyankuppam river mouth with some exposed brick foundations — and is not signposted or developed for visitors. Most of the finds are in the Pondicherry Museum and the Musée Guimet in Paris. But for anyone interested in the scope of ancient trade networks, standing at the riverbank here and imagining a Roman merchant ship on the horizon is worth the short auto-rickshaw ride from town.