Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c20.s14.t2: 1.13.2 Arikamedu
Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c20.s14.t2
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1.13.2 Arikamedu
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Arikamedu, also known as Vīrampatnam,³ is on the east coast four km. south of Pondicherry on the south bank of the Ariyankuppam river near its confluence with the sea. The site has been excavated four times, first by a French team in 1941-44, then by Mortimer Wheeler in 1945, again by the French in 1947-50 and most recently by Vimala Begley during 1989-92.⁴ The importance of Arikamedu in determining South Indian chronology lies in the fact that it was an 'Indo-Roman trading-station', and imported artefacts from the Mediterranean like amphoras, Arretine ware (terra sigillata), rouletted ware, glass and ceramic items have helped in assigning precise dates to the local culture for the first time.¹ However, the site is a disturbed one and dates based on stratification are not very secure. Wheeler's date for Arikamedu in the first two centuries a.d. has been contested by Vimala Begley who has proposed a wider timespread between ca. 200 b.c. and 300 a.d.²
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³ Derived from *vīrai*, the ancient name of the port, mentioned in early Tamil literature. I. Mahadevan 1970b.
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⁴ See Vimala Begley *et al.* 1996: pp. 3-4 for details of excavations at Arikamedu and the reports on excavations.
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¹ R.E.M. Wheeler *et al.* 1946: sections 4 A (pp. 34-48) and 4F to H (pp. 101-102). Vimala Begley and R.D. De Puma (eds.) 1991: chapters 8 & 9 (pp. 134-156). Vimala Begley *et al.* 1996: chapters 6-8 (pp. 317-387).
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² For chronology of Arikamedu, see section 2.16.1.
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About 66 fragmentary pottery inscriptions have been found at Arikamedu from different excavations.³ Most of them are in Tamil, but a few are also in Prakrit and Sinhala-Prakrit languages.⁴ The inscriptions may be assigned to dates between ca. 2nd century b.c. and 3rd century a.d. mainly on palaeographic evidence.
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³ See the list of pottery inscriptions from Arikamedu in I. Mahadevan 1996a: p. 287. See also Nos. 1 & 2, Table 1.5 and Figs. 1.19 A & B in this vol.
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⁴ The languages of the pottery inscriptions from Arikamedu are discussed in I. Mahadevan 1996a: p. 291.