Muziris

Muziris, also spelled Moziris, was an ancient port city on the Malabar Coast of present-day Kerala, India. Its traditional location is near Kodungallur in the Thrissur district.

In antiquity, Muziris was a major hub in the Indian Ocean trade network, linking Indian producers in the spice-rich interior with merchants across the Roman world, the Near East, and East Asia. Classical sources, notably the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea and Ptolemy, refer to Muziris as a thriving emporium where pepper and other spices were traded for wine, oil, glassware, and gold.

Archaeological work at Pattanam near Kodungallur has uncovered evidence of a port-town with Roman amphorae, beads, and Chinese porcelain, supporting the link between Muziris and long-distance exchange. The site is frequently connected with the broader network of ancient Kerala coastal trade that drew merchants from across the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.

Decline followed changes in coastline and shifting trade routes; the harbor gradually silted or was bypassed, and by late antiquity Muziris no longer functioned as a major port. The exact reasons for its decline are debated, including coastal alteration and evolving maritime routes.

Today, Muziris is studied as a key example of early globalized commerce on the Indian Ocean rim, illustrating how spice production in inland Kerala connected distant markets through a network of port towns, entrepots, and cultural exchange.