PUDDUKOTTAI: Two milestones featuring inscription of Arabian numerals and Tamil, English letters
were found near the travellers’ bungalow on Tiruchy-Thanjavur National Highway.
Social activist M Sekar discovered the stones and shared his ‘find’ with Manganoor A Manikandan, research fellow at Department of Ancient Science in Thanjavur Tamil University. The duo came to know that the milestones were erected by the British Government in 1849 and it was anthropological evidence that Tamil numerals were used for official communication.
Milestones, similar to these, were earlier found in three districts, namely, Pudukkottai, Tirunelveli, and Thanjavur. In Tamil Nadu, it is found in more than 10 places.
“One of the newly found milestone is in Sengippatti and the other near Thuvakudi. Both have town names inscribed in English and Tamil letters followed by Arabian numerals. The numbers hint at the distance where similar milestones can be found. These show the usage of Tamil numerals in those times,” said
Manikandan.
He noted that the newly found milestones had striking similarities with the ones found earlier, which showed that they also belonged to the same time period.
“In Thanjvur, it had Tamil and Arabian numerals whereas in Pudukkottai it had Tamil
and Roman numerals,” he added.
The milestones were handed over to the Museum of the Tamil University in Thanjavur.
Earlier findings (milestones) were discovered in Kooliyan Viduthi, Athanakkottai and Annavasal of Pudukkottai district, Gowthamapuri in Tirunelveli district and Mappillai Nayakkan Patti, Sengippatti and Keranur Service Road in Thanjavur district.