Lakshadweep

The onshore explorations of Lakshadweep revealed the presence of significant potsherds of red ware, red-polished ware, dull ware, red and black ware ad buff ware from Kavaratti, Androth and Amini. Two Buddha heads (one 95 cm and the other 55 cm high) carved out of locally available coral rock found earlier by inhabitants of Androth, were examined and assigned to the 6 th-7th Century AD. The presence of red polished ware suggests the earliest habitation on these islands to 100-500 AD.

Four Shipwrecks located in Lakshadweep waters one was at the reef of Suheli par and three at Minicoy. Two shipwrecks explored a water depth of 4-15 is about 100 m long. In one of them the steam engine is intact with a 27 m long shaft attached between engine and propeller blade. An anchor chain more than 100m long was also observed at a depth of about 15 m. In the other wreck the engine is disintegrated, however two boilers can be clearly noticed.