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1. TAMILAKAM:2,300-year-old hero stones found in Theni district
From: Raveen S <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
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Message: 1
Date: Wed, 5 Apr 2006 07:41:41 -0700 (PDT)
From: Raveen S <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: TAMILAKAM:2,300-year-old hero stones found in Theni district
2,300-year-old hero stones found in Theni district
Special Correspondent
These are inscribed with Tamil Brahmi script
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Stones found on the banks of the Vaigai, about 19 km
south of Vattalakundu
The three-foot high stones seem to be a part of urn
burials found in the area
The research was part of a project on the archaeology
of the Vaigai valley
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POINTER TO THE PAST: Hero stones of the Sangam era
found at Puliyamkombai in Andipatti taluk of Theni
district. Photo: M. Srinath
THANJAVUR: Hero stones over 2,300 years old and
inscribed with the Tamil Brahmi script have been
discovered, for the first time, at Puliyamkombai in
Andipatti taluk of Theni district.
V.P.Yatheeskumar and S.Selvakumar of the Department of
Epigraphy and Archaeology of Tamil University,
Thanjavur, found the stones on March 23 and 25 on the
banks of the Vaigai, about 19 km south of
Vattalakundu. They are functioning under the
department head K.Rajan.
"These are the oldest among the hero stones in India
so far," Vice-Chancellor C.Subramaniam told reporters
here on Tuesday. "... They will pose new challenges to
archaeologists of Tamil Nadu."
Position changed
The three-foot high stones seem to be a part of urn
burials found in large numbers in the area. In recent
years, they were removed from their original position
when the ground was levelled for cultivation. The area
is known as Veppamarattukadu.
Dr.Rajan said the research was part of a project on
the archaeology of the Vaigai valley, funded by the
University Grants Commission and a project on the
historical atlas of South India, funded by the Ford
Foundation.
The first hero stone has three lines that read, "Kal
pedu tiyan antavan kudal ur akol," which means it has
been put up in memory of Tiyan Antavan of pedu
village, who died in a cattle raid at Kudalur. The
second stone is partly broken. The inscription says it
is in memory of Atan. The full name of the village and
the man could not be ascertained as the stone has been
damaged. The inscription on the third stone reveals
that it is in memory of Patavan Avvan of Velur.
The last two inscriptions can be dated to the third
century BC.
The first inscription seems to be older than the other
two.
According to Iravatham Mahadevan, an expert in the
Tamil Brahmi script, the writings and orthography are
similar to the cave inscriptions of Mangulam. This is
the earliest inscription found so far in Tamil Nadu.
http://www.hindu.com/2006/04/05/stories/2006040518340600.htm
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