INDIAN OCEAN TRADE: A REASSESSMENT OF THE POTTERY FINDS FROM A MULTIDISCIPLINARY POINT OF VIEW (3RD CENTURY BC-5TH CENTURY AD)

Abstract

Pottery is a key material of the ancient Indian Ocean trade network and its study provides an understanding of transcultural interactions. This study demonstrates that a reassessment from a multidisciplinary point of view offers new and original interpretations of known existing material. Even though we undeniably have a better comprehension of the Western material due to more advanced studies, these research results prove that it is necessary to dismiss the established Rome-centric perspective. In particular, a re-evaluation of the pottery finds in Western Indian Ocean countries strongly supports the idea that South Arabia and India played a primary role in international exchanges between the 3rd century BC and the 5th century AD