 Begley obtained <unk> to carry out excavations at the site in collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Madras ; she and <unk> <unk> were the directors of operation from 1989 to 1992 . Steven <unk> of the University of Delaware , who had back ground knowledge of Roman Egypt , was in charge of the <unk> at the site . Further excavations were done during six working seasons from 1989 to 1992 , which led to a contradictory view that the brick structures and the wells investigated by Wheeler were of poor quality as they were founded on poor sandy foundations . The wood work was also noted to be of poor quality and the houses had no waterproofing . The excavations also lead to a view that Arikamedu 's Roman trading link was more of an inference . The excavations have now established that the trading with Rome extended to a period beyond that assessed by Wheeler ; that trading continued from the second century BCE to the seventh or eighth century CE . 
