| Abstract: |
While most scholars have suggested the existence of two important sea ports, viz., Gange and Tamalites or Tamralipta, in ancient Bengal, the present author believes that Gange and Tamralipta were two names for the same port city. A number of scholars identified Tamralipta with modern Tamluk on the Rupanarayan, but this could not be supported by excavations. For various reasons, the author believes that Natsal, an archaeological site at the confluence of the Rupanarayana and the Ganga was the location of ancient Tamralipta. A seal from lower Bengal showing stalks of grains emerging from vessels, suggest that such items were regularly exported from Bengal. Archaeological evidence proves that Bengal had elaborate overseas trade relations with Southeast Asian countries from the early part of the Christian era up to about the seventh or eighth century A.D.
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