
The Maldives were inhabited as early as 1,500 BC, but much of the country’s origin is lost in tome due to lack of surviving written records. Large ruins and other archeological remains were found on islands which shows that the people of antiquity had certainly stumbled upon the country during their first travels. It is believed that immigrants by Aryan from Indian landmass permanently settled in around five hundred B.C. Numerous traditions, customary practices, and superstitious beliefs still prevail country likewise validate the impact of the early Dravidian culture of the Maldives. It is acknowledged that early Maldivians were Buddhists or Hindus migrating from the Indian landmass. Cowrie shells were used as a form of currency in the early period. Historical accounts of travelers revealed that they were traded in the 13th century. A single gold dinar was worth 400,000 shells.