Ancient Tamil Writing and drawing in Clay Tablets

From the banks of River Noyyalaaru processed (burnt) clay tablets were excavated from 1998 onwards. Invariably every tablet contained ancient tamil writings on one side and drawings on the otherside. Terracota figurines, earthern pots and black stone statues obtained from the excavation site contained the same theme (writings, drawing). For the first time in Tamilnadu such materials are available reminding excavations in Harappa. Other than these sites, similar materials of antiquity have not been excavated from any other parts of India. So far unrecorded words were scribed on red and black walls from the exacavation site and on the tablets.

Kadan from the land of kumiz uur ('erumi naadu kuzumuur kaadan') is written on these tablets in many different ways. In some places 'kadan' is replaced by 'nagan'. In these sentences the alphabets 'ta' and 'ma' are written in either Tamil brahmi or in Asoka Brahmi. The tablets talk about 'gold trade'. Amidst still unknown characters one could see such names like 'mazan' 'maza ananman' 'ceyanagadan'.

A few scripts in those tablets belong to a really ancient time but some belong to a later time. For example, the 'du' in 'naadu' is written as 'S' and as 'G' . If we consider the 'S' as 'round letters' (vatta ezuthu) then we could guess that these tablets were written during 4th century A.D. What is still unclear about these tablets is whether they are true alphabets or are they symbols? Same words or symbols are written in all the tablets like a 'mandra'. Could that be a ritualistic practice? or a product of a school where students practiced dictation on clay tablets?

The tablets come in all shapes, long square, rectangle, round, semi-circle, semi-rectangle and shape like a fish. The edges are designed in a way resembling the scale of a snake. On one side ancient writings and on the other side marine organisms such as fish, snail, turtle are drawn. For example, in one of the tablets there is a drawing of a big fish below which a mollusc. In another a ship with three sails and two anchors is drawn. It is hard to find a reason why the tablets are in different shapes. Probably, they are weights of a balance or seals. On the backside one could see drawings of mountain, river, moon, sun, snake, plants, boat etc. along with words or symbols. Some drawings could be maps. In such drawings letters like a.mi.ru.e.naa.du...are given in small boxes. The meaning is still unclear. A separate research on these symbols are needed. For example, some letters are bigger than the others and written stylistically. We still don't know whether they are signature of a chieftain or a symbolic representation of something else?

Drawings of a five-headed serpent is seen on the tablets, figurines and on stone statues. In one of the tablets a coiled serpent with its head spread out carrying the word 'nagan' is seen. In that drawing, above the body of the serpent is seen a small cottage. One could guess that snake with all its sybolic meaning is associated.

Some tablets contain the sentence 'nadan of the land of kumuzuur'. PuRanaanuuru (49) an ancient sangam period (300 BC - 400 AD) poetry anthology describes the head of kurunji and mullai (ancient landscapes of tamilnadu) as 'nadan'. So these tablets could have been written as a memento when their favourite hero died. This may not necessarily be an official memento instead sentimental tribute from the people of the land on the memory of their chieftain. The mementos being in readily available clay material and in metal plates vouch that.

It is still not uncommon in rural Tamilnadu to offer earthly figures of horse and elephant to village deity such as Iyanar. Ancestral worship along with worshiping people of great bravery are common in Tamilnadu. In ancient tamil 'kadan' means the divine spirit that rests in a particular landscape. So it is possible that these tablets are offerings to god. In a Dharmapuri 'nadukal' (a stone offering) a word 'kattiRaikaL' meaning 'god of the forest' is mentioned. This could be an evidence for such a line of thinking. 'eruminadu kumizuur kadan' is written in various antic materials collected in that area such as in earthen pots and in stones. Interestingly, the word 'erumi naadu' and 'kuzumuur' are scribed in Tamil brahmi at Chittannavasal as well. Eruminaadu could mean the state of Mysore.

These tablets were originally discovered by Mr.I.Ramasamy of Polampatti and Mr.Karuppasamy of Perur and given to the Department of Archeology, Tamilnadu for further inspection.

The article explaining this excavation on the side is written on the basis of a lecture delivered by Mr.R.Poongundran of Registrar Office, Department of Archeology, Trichi, Tamilnadu on 'Updates on Kongu archeology' at a two day seminar in the Santhalinga Swamigal Tamil College, Perur, Tamilnadu.