Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c20.s14.t6.1

c20.s14.t6.1

Apart from the four major sites discussed above, ten other excavated sites have yielded relatively fewer pottery inscriptions (Table 1.4, Map II). Among these sites, Kanchipuram,¹ Karur,² Korkai³ and Poompuhar (Kāviri-p-pūm-paṭṭiṇam)⁴ have the potential to yield much greater number of pottery inscriptions than discovered so far. Kanchipuram and Karur have had the same problems as Uraiyur, namely continuous occupation and heavily built-up areas with little room left for large-scale excavations. Still it is rather surprising that Kanchipuram and even Poompuhar (with relatively more open spaces) have not yielded pottery inscriptions in Tamil. The only inscribed sherd found at Kanchipuram⁵ is in Prakrit, and the one from Poompuhar⁶ is in Sinhala-Prakrit. The pottery inscriptions in Tamil in the Tamil-Brāhmī script found in the excavations at Alagarai,⁷ Kovalanpottal,⁸ Poluvampatti⁹ and Vallam¹⁰ have been published (without illustrations except in the last case). Inscriptions from the recently excavated sites at Maligaimedu and Teriruveli are yet to be published.¹¹