TIRUNELVELI: Potsherds with Tamil inscriptions 'Thieeya', 'Thisa', and 'Kuvira(n)', were unearthed in the second phase of excavation at Thulukkarpatti in Tirunelveli, said minister Thangam Thennarasu on Tuesday.
In a Twitter post, Thennarasu said, "It is worth noting that among the potsherds found now, there are potsherds with Tamil inscriptions such as Thieeya, Thisa, and Kuvira(n). This is good proof of the literate Tamil community which had been living on the banks of Nambiar with its own cultural elements."
The second phase of excavation was inaugurated by collector K P Karthikeyan on April 6. In the first phase, about 1,000 antiquities were unearthed at the site. K Vasanthakumar, director of Thulukkarpatti excavation, State Archaeology Department, told TNIE that so far his department had unearthed more than 1,100 antiquities from the 11 pits dug in Thulukkarpatti during both phases of excavation.
In a statement, the Tamil Nadu Archeology Department said that the antiquities unearthed in Thulukkarpatti included copper rings, iron objects, terracotta (hopscotch and gamesman), spindle whorl, carnelian, amethyst, glass beads, and quartz apart from the potsherds with Tamil inscriptions.