Ancient Tamil-Brahmi Script Discovered in Egypt
In a remarkable breakthrough that sheds fresh light on ancient maritime connections, 2,000-year-old Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions have been identified inside the royal tombs of Egypt's Valley of the Kings. The discovery provides compelling evidence that Tamil traders from ancient India travelled far into the Egyptian interior, leaving behind written traces of their presence.
The findings were presented on February 11 at the four-day International Conference on Tamil Epigraphy, organised by the Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology. The conference was inaugurated by Tamil Nadu's Minister for Finance and Archaeology, Thangam Thennarasu.
Professor Ingo Strauch of the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, and Professor Charlotte Schmid of the French School of Asian Studies in Paris conducted the research. The scholars documented nearly 30 inscriptions in Tamil-Brahmi and Prakrit across six rock-cut tombs, including the tomb of Ramesses VI.
One of the most striking aspects of the discovery is the repeated mention of the name "Cikai Korran" across eight locations. A specific inscription reads "Cikai Korran vara kanta," meaning "Cikai Korran came and saw." Researchers observed that this resembles the style of Greek tourist graffiti also discovered within the same complex.
The name itself is significant. "Cikai" translates as "tuft" or "crown," while "Korran" means "leader," suggesting the individual may have been a prominent figure within the merchant guilds of the early historic Tamil period.
The conference organised by the Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology was inaugurated by the Minister for Finance and Archaeology. Speaking at the event, Minister Thangam Thennarasu stressed that inscriptions serve as reliable chronological records, untouched by later literary alterations. He noted that Tamil Nadu accounts for nearly 30,000 documented inscriptions in India, providing a continuous historical record dating back to the 6th century BCE.
In a post on X, the Minister described the discovery as proof of the far-reaching influence of Tamil civilisation. He highlighted that Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions dating back two millennia have been found in the pyramid tombs of Egypt, with the name of a Tamil merchant, Sikai Kotran (Cikai Korran), appearing eight times across five pyramids. This, he said, demonstrates how deeply Tamil traders were embedded in ancient global trade networks.
Thennarasu added that the findings confirm Tamil seafarers reached Egypt even during the Roman period, effectively practising global trade centuries before modern globalisation emerged as a concept. He said the discovery strengthens the identity of Tamils as a historically global community and is a matter of immense pride.
The research paper also referred to an earlier discovery at Berenike, an Egyptian port city. Excavations there uncovered a Tamil inscription carved on a reused stone in the courtyard of the Temple of Isis. Founded in the 3rd century BCE and active until the 3rd century CE, the temple site further supports evidence of long-standing contact between Tamil traders and Egypt.
Together, these discoveries highlight the extraordinary reach of ancient Tamil merchants, who not only sailed across vast seas but also left enduring marks on distant civilisations thousands of kilometres from their homeland.