ASI crew discovers potsherd with Tamil-Brahmi inscription at Kumarikkalpalayam

Excavations by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) at a habitation mound in Kumarikkalpalayam hamlet in Tiruppur district have led to the invention of a potsherd bearing a brief inscription that’s paleographically dated to the late 1st century BCE-early 1st century CE.

A crew led by P. Aravazhi, Superintendent Archaeologist (in cost), ASI Tiruchi Circle, started excavations within the final week of February 2026 for a stratigraphy research of a website in Uthukuli Taluk, which lies inside an agricultural area and represents an in depth Iron Age and Early Historic habitation, comprising a mound and an adjoining megalithic burial complicated.

“The fragment, a part of a storage jar made from black-and-red ware, carries 5 Tamil-Brahmi characters that may be learn as ‘Irumpurai’,” in keeping with Y. Subburayulu, Senior Epigraphist and previously Professor, Tamil College, Thanjavur.

The title (of the inscription) is traditionally related to the Chera rulers of the Karur area, positioned about 95 km east of the excavation website, through the Sangam interval.

Along with the inscribed sherd, quite a lot of ceramic sorts have been unearthed, together with red-slipped ware, black-and-red ware, and russet-coated ware.

“The excavations are nonetheless below method. There are excessive prospects for locating extra such inscriptions,” Assistant Superintending Archaeologist V. Muthukumar mentioned.

The ASI is trying to get the 26-feet Menhir on the Kumarikkalpalayam hamlet as a protected monument. In keeping with archaeologists, the menhir finds a point out within the 249th verse of Akananurua Sangam-era classical Tamil anthology.