Tamil Brahmi inscriptions discovered in Egypt shed light on ancient trade links, Pg1

Key Highlights:

• Discovery of nearly 30 inscriptions in Tamil Brahmi, Prakrit, and Sanskrit in Egyptian tombs.
• Inscriptions found in the Valley of the Kings date back to the 1st-3rd centuries CE.
• The inscriptions were identified by researchers Charlotte Schmid and Ingo Strauch during studies in 2024-2025.
• Inscriptions suggest ancient trade links between Tamilagam, other parts of India, and the Roman Empire.

Detailed Insights:

• The inscriptions were found across six tombs in the Theban Necropolis, following initial surveys by French scholar Jules Baillet in 1926.
• Visitors from the north-western, western, and southern regions of the Indian subcontinent left inscriptions, with those from the south being the majority.
• The name Cikai Korran appears repeatedly in the inscriptions, suggesting a person of possible importance or frequent visitor.
• The name Korran has warlike associations, linking to the Chera warrior goddess Korravai and the term korravan (king).
• Other Tamil Brahmi inscriptions include names like Kopan, Satan, and Kiran, indicating a wider presence of individuals from Tamil regions.
• The findings highlight the movement of people and cultural exchange between ancient India and Egypt, facilitated by trade routes.
• Earlier research focused on the Red Sea port city of Berenike, but attention has now shifted to the Nile river valley for further discoveries.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Tamil Brahmi: An ancient script used to write early Tamil, ancestral to modern Tamil script.
• Tamilagam: The ancient Tamil country, corresponding to present-day Tamil Nadu and parts of Kerala.
• Epigraphy: The study and interpretation of ancient inscriptions.