Discoveries of Chinese ceramic sherds on the coasts of South India

Until recently, few archaeological discoveries of Chinese porcelain in India had been reported, despite Chinese porcelain having a reputation for being of very high quality and therefore highly sought-after. In contrast, large quantities had been found in other Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. Then, in 1950 more than 70 celadon and blue-and-white items were discovered in the Palace of Firuz Shah Tughlaq in Delhi. More recent discoveries on the southern coasts of India have revealed large quantities of Chinese ceramics that were imported into India during medieval times. These discoveries provide new insights into the histories of the ports and economic conditions in southern India; it is clear that the main customers for expensive Chinese porcelain were royal households and temples. The finds also reveal the scale of East-West international maritime trade passing via southern India during medieval times.