A Neolithic stone shaped like a hand held axe, dating to between 2000 BC – 1500 BC has been found near Mayiladuthurai in Tamil Nadu. What makes this find more interesting is the fact that this stone has Indus Valley signs on it. This is one great find since this brings out evidence that the Indus script had reached Tamil Nadu around the same time the Indus civilization was in its glory.
According to Mr. Mahadevan, the first sign on the celt depicted a skeletal body with ribs. The figure is seated on his haunches, body bent and contracted, with lower limbs folded and knees drawn up. The second sign showed a jar. Hundreds of this pair have been found on seals and sealings at Harappa. Mr Mahadevan read the first sign as “muruku” and the second sign as “an.” In other words, it is “Murukan.” The earliest references in Old Tamil poetry portrayed him as a “wrathful killer,” indicating his prowess as a war god and hunter. The third sign looked like a trident and the fourth like a crescent with a loop in the middle.[Discovery of a century” in Tamil Nadu via email from Anand Krishnamoorthi]
Does this mean that Harappans and the people of Tamil Nadu shared a same language? Iravatham Mahadevan, an expert on Indus Valley script thinks so.
He said: “`Muruku’ and ‘an’ are shown hundreds of times in the Indus script found at Harappa. This is the importance of the find at Sembiyan-Kandiyur. Not only do the Neolithic people of Tamil Nadu and the Harappans share the same script but the same language.” In Tamil Nadu, the muruku symbol was first identified from a pottery graffiti at Sanur, near Tindivanam. B.B. Lal, former Director-General of ASI, correctly identified this symbol with sign 47 of the Indus script. In recent years, the muruku symbol turned up among the pottery graffiti found at Mangudi, near Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu, and at Muciri, Kerala. But this was the first time that a complete, classical Indus script had been found on a polished Neolithic stone celt, Mr. Mahadevan pointed out.[ Significance of Mayiladuthurai find]
It’s quite likely that they simply traded. Even this, however, would be very significant.
From the article: “He emphasised that the importance of the discovery was independent of the tentative decipherment of the two signs proposed by him.”
I completely agree – the find is very significant. Mahadevan’s interpretation is just tentative. Let’s not read too much into it.
The word “Raja” is found in both Tamil and Punjabi, so does that mean Tamil and Punjabi are the same language?
I am realy sorry if I sound rude.
MR.Seshadhri… Catamaran exist both in Tamil and English …are they both the same language.
It is derived from from Tamil into English usage.
Please look at the discovery objectively…please dont get into the AIT controversy.
This Discovery does not prove anything as such.But we should always keep our options open.
You hit the nail in the head, Balachander! I couldn’t agree with you more.
Raja is found in both Tamil and Punjabi, but it doesn’t mean they are the same language.
Catamaran is found in both Tamil and English, but that doesn’t mean they are the same language.
Similarly, four words/symbols have been found which are common to both ancient Tamil Nadu and ancient Indus Valley, but it doesn’t mean they spoke the same language.
Thanks for substantiating my point. No, it was not at all rude.
Hi
It is interesting because, the word “Murukan” is the most important word in Tamil history.
“Murukan” points to the son of god “Siva”, it is said that he is responsible for development of the Tamil language(thats why i told u its an important word).
There is possibilities for such existance.
In the same time we cannot discourage, disagree or even ignore such fact of this importance.