Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c21.s16.t4: 2.16.4 Reappraisal of chronological evidence
Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c21.s16.t4
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2.16.4 Reappraisal of chronological evidence
c21.s16.t4.1
As part of the present comprehensive study, it was decided to take a fresh look into the relative and absolute chronology of the Tamil-Brāhmī and Early Vaṭṭeḻuttu inscriptions included in the Corpus. Relative chronology is based on palaeographic evolution (recorded in the Palaeographic Charts included in Chapter 5) and developments in the orthographic and linguistic features of the inscriptions. Absolute chronology is based on datable external contacts as in the case of the presence of Tamil-Brāhmī characters in Early Sinhala-Brāhmī inscriptions in Sri Lanka and in Southern Brāhmī inscriptions in the Deccan. Conversely, the discovery of Brāhmī and Early Sinhala-Brāhmī inscriptions on pottery found in datable contexts in the Tamil sites and the presence of datable Southern Brāhmī features in Late Tamil-Brāhmī cave inscriptions in the border regions also help to determine absolute dates for Tamil-Brāhmī. The discovery of Tamil-Brāhmī pottery inscriptions from the Red Sea ports in Egypt has provided valuable evidence of external trade contacts. While the results of these studies are included in the respective chapters in this volume, a brief summary of the more important evidence forming the basis for the chronology of Early Tamil inscriptions is given below.²
c21.s16.t4.2
² See also Tables 2.1 & 2.2 appended to this chapter.