News: Researchers have discovered nearly 30 inscriptions in Tamil Brahmi, Prakrit, and Sanskrit in tombs at the Valley of the Kings in Egypt.
Key Findings
- Nearly 30 inscriptions in Tamil-Brahmi, Sanskrit, and Prakrit inside six tombs in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings. They dated from the 1st to 3rd centuries CE.
- About 20 inscriptions are in Tamil-Brahmi, including the repeated name “Cikai Koṟṟaṉ,” and other names such as Kopāṉ, Cātaṉ and Kiraṉ.
About Tamil-Brahmi Script
- It was a variant of the Brahmi script in southern India, also known as Tamili or Damili.
- Dated between: 300 BC and 100 AD
- It is written in three languages: Tamil, Prakrit and Pali
- Distant Feature: Brahmi characters have geometric features such as lines, curves, corners, and dots.
- Brahmi script is written from left to right.
- Tamil Brahmi inscriptions have been found on cave entrances, stone beds, potsherds, jar burials, coins, seals, and rings.
- Greatest work related to Tamil brahmi scipt: The Thirukkural, one of the greatest works on ethics and morality was written in Tamil Brahmi.
About Valley of the Kings
- The Valley of the Kings is a long, narrow valley located just west of the Nile River in Upper Egypt and formed part of the ancient city of Thebes.
- It served as the burial site for nearly all pharaohs of the 18th, 19th, and 20th dynasties (1539–1075 BCE), from Thutmose I to Ramses X.
- In 1979, UNESCO designated the Valley of the Kings as part of the World Heritage Site of ancient Thebes, which also includes Luxor, the Valley of the Queens, and Karnak.
