[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Studies](https://indike.org/pramana/ins) › [Archaeology, epigraphy and coins](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy) › [Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D.](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003) › c21.s8.6 # Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c21.s8.6 Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c21.s8.6 - **Language:** English ### [c21.s8.6](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c21.s8.6) The Arachalur cave inscription discovered in 1961 has a clear dot placed inside the character for the vowel \*e\*.⁵ The significance of the dot as the \*puḷḷi\* indicating the short vowel \*e\* was first pointed out by Krishnan in 1973.⁶ The next find of a \*puḷḷi\* came from a wholly unexpected source, the Tamil-Brāhmī legend on the reverse of the silver portrait coin of Sātakarṇi (2nd century A.D.). The occurrence of the \*puḷḷi\* in the coin-legend was first pointed out by Sircar.⁷ This was soon followed by the discovery of the \*puḷḷi\* in the legend of the Andippatti Hoard of lead coins of Cēntaṉ (ca. 3rd century A.D.) by Mohandas.⁸ The next advance came when Jebarajan and Gift Siromoney identified the \*puḷḷi\* in the Anaimalai cave inscription, overlooked by the earlier investigators.⁹ It is now known that the earliest occurrence of the \*puḷḷi\* which can be dated is in the coin-legend on the silver portrait coin of Puḷumāvi issued towards the close of the 1st century A.D.¹⁰ - [Previous: c21.s8.5](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c21.s8.5) - [Next: c21.s8.7](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c21.s8.7) - [Up: c21.s8](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c21.s8) --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c21.s8.6](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c21.s8.6) · Pramāṇa