Barbarikon: a lost Roman-era port city in modern-day Pakistan - a thread:
Located near the modern-day city of Karachi in Pakistan, it was a prominent centre of trade. The exact location of Barbarikon is still debated by historians, but it is believed to have been situated on the Indus Delta near the present-day town of Banbhore.
The city played an important role in the maritime trade of the region, serving as a key link between the Roman Empire, India, and Southeast Asia, for spices, textiles, precious stones and ideas.
An ancient text, the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, a navigational guide to the Indian Ocean penned in the first century AD mentions the city as a "market town" famed for cotton and indigo exports.
The city was also home to a significant Jewish population, as evidenced by the discovery of a Jewish cemetery in the nearby town of Ongar. Barbarikon's importance waned with the decline of the Roman Empire and the rise of the Gupta & Sassanian Empires.
Today, the remains of the city can be found in the form of ruins, including walls, gateways, and cemeteries, which serve as a testament to the city's rich cultural and historical significance.
Here's a rather interesting thread we came across the other day on Barbarikon and other ancient ports in the area!
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