[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) › c25.s18.2 # Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c25.s18.2 Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c25.s18.2 - **Language:** English ### [c25.s18.2](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c25.s18.2) \*\*Symbol A:\*\* This is the most frequent symbol occurring ten times in nine inscriptions from three sites.⁵ The symbol is mostly placed at the end of the inscriptions except once when it occurs also in the middle.⁶ The symbol looks somewhat like a 'crab' with a pair of 'claws'; in one of the variants, the 'feet' are not shown;¹ but the other would appear to have six 'feet', three on either side, though the incompletely preserved symbols in the inscriptions have only three to five 'feet'.² Symbol A occurs paired with symbol B in two inscriptions (Nos. \*12\* & \*13\*) at Kongarpuliyankulam. It is remarkable that these two symbols also occur together in the same sequence (although separated by another symbol in the middle) on a potsherd from Kodumanal (Fig. 5.12).³ Symbol A also occurs paired with yet another symbol on a potsherd from Uraiyur.⁴ - [Previous: c25.s18.1](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c25.s18.1) - [Next: c25.s18.3](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c25.s18.3) - [Up: c25.s18](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c25.s18) --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c25.s18.2](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.epigraphy.mahadevan-2003.c25.s18.2) · Pramāṇa