A comparative study conducted by the State Archaeology Department has revealed that 60 per cent of the symbols and 90 per cent of the graffiti marks discovered at excavation sites in Tamil Nadu have striking similarities to those found in the Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC). This finding attempts to establish a link between the two ancient cultures.
A morphological study conducted by Prof. K. Rajan and R. Sivananthan from the Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology (TNSDA) has digitised more than 15,000 potsherds bearing graffiti, collected from 140 archaeological sites over several decades. The study classified 42 signs as base signs, 544 as their variants, and 1,521 as composite forms, then compared these with the undeciphered Indus script signs.
Prof. Rajan said, “Out of the 42 base signs and their variants, nearly 60 per cent of the graffiti marks show similarities with the Indus script. Additionally, 90 per cent of the graffiti marks from Tamil Nadu were found to resemble those of the Indus Valley. In fact, several signs from Tamil Nadu had exact parallels with the Indus script.”
The comparative study, the findings of which were released during the centenary year of the discovery of the Indus Valley Civilisation, indicates that both the IVC signs and the graffiti found in Tamil Nadu settlements are forms of literacy, suggesting that there were exchanges between the two, Rajan explained.
Archaeologists in Tamil Nadu suggest that Keeladi and Sivagalai, dated 2,600 and 3,200 years old, respectively, through carbon dating of artefacts, may be connected to the Indus Valley Civilization. They argue that the “temporal gap” between the Harappan Civilization and Tamil settlements is closing. However, experts outside the state remain sceptical of this theory. Many of the graffiti-inscribed potsherds discovered across the country have been unearthed in South India, particularly in Tamil Nadu.
Thulukarpatti in Tirunelveli alone has yielded around 5,000 graffiti marks, with additional discoveries from sites such as Keeladi, Arikamedu, Uraiyur, Korkai, Alangulam, Adichanallur, Kodumanal, and Kilnamandi.
“Our findings come from a relatively small geographical region within Tamil Nadu, where we have uncovered 15,000 graffiti marks. No other area in the Indian subcontinent can match this number. Based on this, we propose that the graffiti marks of Tamil Nadu and the Indus Valley Civilization script could have been contemporaneous,” said Rajan.
Sivananthan, Joint Director of the Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology, stated that the similarities between the Indus Civilisation and the Iron Age settlements of Tamil Nadu, along with the hypothesis that they could have coexisted, are being supported through evidence of script, material culture, and trade and cultural exchanges. The hypothesis suggests that the Indus script or its signs did not vanish without a trace but rather evolved or transformed into different forms. “This comparative study takes a morphological approach rather than a linguistic one,” Sivananthan and Rajan noted in their research.
Rajan explained that the comparative study suggests a possible exchange between the Indus Valley Civilisation and the Iron Age settlements in Tamil Nadu.
“In addition to the graffiti marks, we have discovered carnelian beads, agate, black and red ware, and other artifacts from settlements in Tamil Nadu, which lend support to the theory of exchanges between the two cultures. However, more evidence is required to definitively establish this link, and that is the focus of our ongoing research,” Rajan added.
The authors explained that while the signs engraved on seals are referred to as “script,” those on ceramics are classified as “graffiti,” even though both were created by the same people. However, their extensive comparative study of graffiti marks and Indus scripts strongly indicates that both sets of signs remain undeciphered, according to Rajan and Sivananthan.
This study introduces a new dimension to the ongoing debate on the Indus Valley Civilisation by providing the necessary material evidence to better understand the significance of IVC’s language and script. Previously, the discussion revolved around four main areas: material culture (especially black-and-red ware), literature-linked linguistic studies, and comparative studies of place names and geographical connections between the IVC and Tamil land.
Indology expert R. Balakrishnan noted that the study has also led to a re-evaluation of the introduction of iron in South India, pushing it back to the mid-3rd millennium BCE, thus aligning the Iron Age of South India with the Copper Age of North India. “The puzzles of the Indus Civilization and the mysteries of Tamil antiquities are, in a way, two sides of the same coin, despite the geographical and temporal distances between them,” he added.
