Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c20.s14.t4.12

c20.s14.t4.12

⁶ E.g., a pottery inscription from Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, is written in this style (R.A.E. Coningham *et al.*, 1996: pp. 73-97, No. 16,472). The 'distinctive angularity' of the letters has been noted by the authors (p. 85, Fig. at p. 84). See especially Nos. 12 and 115 in Subbarayalu's Catalogue for very close parallels. I suggest that the inscribed sherd reading *ti mu ḷa* (prob. for *tamiḻa*) or the scribe who incised it came from Kodumanal, perhaps in the course of the gem trade. The date (190 b.c.) assigned to the Anuradhapura sherd on the basis of stratification falls within the range known at Kodumanal.