A 2,000-year-old hero stone inscribed with Tamil Brahmi script has been discovered in Appanur village in the Ramanathapuram district of Tamil Nadu. Epigraphists suggest that the writings on the stone could date back to the 1st century BCE, making it one of the earliest Tamil Brahmi-inscribed hero stones in the state.
Details of the Inscription
The inscription is engraved on a quartz stone in three lines, and the script remains legible. It reads: “appanur eri mandu vizhuntha atthiyan kiran kal.” This translates to a memorial stone erected in honor of Kiran, son of Aththiyan, who fought against Appanur and died in battle.
Significance of the Discovery
C Santhalingam, secretary of the Pandyanadu Centre for Historical Research, stated, “This is the first time we have found a Tamil Brahmi-inscribed hero stone in Ramanathapuram district. It is very difficult to write on this stone. Only a highly skilled craftsman could have engraved these letters.” He added, “This is a landmark discovery; it is evidence of the early writing system that existed 2,000 years back in the Pandya region.”
Discovery and Expert Opinions
The inscription was found by Muniyasamy, a teacher from Peraiyur near Kamuthi, at the Ariyanachhi Amman temple in Appanur village. Senior epigraphist Y Subbarayalu commented that the Tamil Brahmi inscription has developed characters and could belong to the 1st century BCE. “Earliest Tamil Brahmi discoveries like the Mangulam inscriptions near Madurai belong to the 2nd century BCE. This one might have been inscribed slightly later,” he explained.
Another hero stone with ancient Tamil Brahmi inscriptions was previously found in Pulimankombai in Theni district, which was considered from the 3rd century BCE. Professor K Rajan, academic and research adviser to the Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology, noted, “For the first time, we have found an inscription on a quartz rock. They could have used a sharp chisel to engrave these letters.”
