 The name Arikamedu , an archaeological usage for the excavated site , originates in a Tamil word that means <unk> of <unk> , based on the figurine of an avatar ( incarnation ) of the Jain <unk> <unk> found at the site . It is also linked with <unk> or Virampattinam , meaning Port of <unk> , a village next to Arikamedu . <unk> , according to <unk> literature , was well known as a port and also for its salt pans during the <unk> dynasty . Arikamedu @-@ <unk> together find mention as Poduke , a major port in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea in the first century CE and as Poduke <unk> in Ptolemy 's <unk> of mid first century CE . Poduke is a Roman name and is also said to be a corrupted version of the Tamil name <unk> , meaning a " meeting place " , also known for the local <unk> clan . 
