In a discovery that could reshape understanding of ancient India’s maritime links, researchers have found 2,000-year-old Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions inside the high-security royal tombs of Egypt’s Valley of the Kings.
The findings were presented by Swiss scholar Professor Ingo Strauch at the International Conference on Tamil Epigraphy on February 11. Strauch, of the University of Lausanne, and Professor Charlotte Schmid of the French School of Asian Studies documented around 30 Tamil-Brahmi and Prakrit inscriptions across six rock-cut tombs, including that of Ramesses VI. Among the most notable discoveries is the name “Cikai Korran,” which appears in eight different locations, suggesting the presence of ancient Tamil visitors deep inside Egypt.
Researchers highlighted that one inscription reads “Cikai Korran vara kanta,” meaning “Cikai Korran came and saw,” a phrase that closely resembles the style of Greek tourist graffiti discovered within the same complex.
Speaking to delegates, Professor Ingo Strauch explained that earlier traces of Tamil presence in Egypt were largely limited to port hubs such as Berenike. However, these newly identified inscriptions indicate that Indian merchants were far more than passing sailors. According to him, they spent considerable time in the region and showed enough curiosity and engagement to travel deep inland, visiting historic sites well beyond the coastal trade centres.
Professor Strauch added that the name “Cikai Korran” itself hints at high social standing — Cikai meaning tuft or crown and Korran meaning leader — suggesting the individual may have held an important position within early historic merchant guilds.
The four-day conference, organised by the Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology, was inaugurated by Finance and Archaeology Minister Thangam Thennarasu. In his address, the Minister stressed that inscriptions serve as reliable chronological records of society, largely free from the later alterations and interpolations seen in literary texts. He also pointed out that Tamil Nadu alone accounts for nearly 30,000 recorded inscriptions in India, offering a continuous historical narrative dating back to the 6th century BCE.
Running until February 14, the conference will also see the release of a detailed volume on traditional water management systems based on ancient sluice inscriptions, highlighting how early communities governed irrigation and shared resources. Upcoming sessions over the next two days will focus on hero stones, merchant guild documentation, and the digital mapping of archaeological sites across the state.
