Tamil-Brahmi Inscriptions Found In Egypt’s Valley Of The Kings

A path-breaking discovery has revealed close trade and cultural links between ancient Tamilagam and the Roman world. Nearly 30 inscriptions in Tamil-Brahmi, Prakrit and Sanskrit have been identified inside tombs in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, dating between the 1st and 3rd centuries C.E.

The inscriptions were documented during fieldwork conducted in 2024–25 by Charlotte Schmid of the French School of Asian Studies (EFEO), Paris, and Ingo Strauch of the University of Lausanne. The team recorded the inscriptions across six tombs in the Theban Necropolis.

Indian Visitors In The Valley Of The Kings

The inscriptions were carved as brief graffiti marks by visitors who left their names on walls and corridors, following an established practice also seen in Greek graffiti. Earlier, French scholar Jules Baillet had documented over 2,000 Greek graffiti marks in 1926.

The Indian inscriptions appear within this multilingual context, suggesting that merchants or travellers from the Indian subcontinent visited the tombs during the Roman period.

Prominent Tamil Names Identified

One name, Cikai Koṟṟaṉ, appears eight times across five tombs. The second element, koṟṟaṉ, is distinctly Tamil and linked to the root “koṟṟam,” meaning victory or slaying. The term is associated with the Chera warrior goddess Koṟṟavai and the title koṟṟavaṉ, meaning king.

The name also appears in other Egyptian finds, including Koṟṟapumāṉ on a pottery sherd from Berenike, a Red Sea port city. Similar names occur in Sangam literature, including references to the Chera ruler Piṭtāṅkoṟṟaṉ in the Purananooru.

Other Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions identified in the tombs include Kopāṉ varata kantan (“Kopāṉ came and saw”), along with names such as Cātaṉ and Kiraṉ.

Trade Links Between Tamilagam And Rome

Scholars note that the majority of the individuals appear to have originated from southern India, particularly ancient Tamilagam. The discovery strengthens existing evidence of maritime trade between the Malabar Coast and the Roman Empire.

Earlier excavations at Berenike had revealed Indian artefacts and inscriptions, highlighting commercial exchanges across the Red Sea. The new findings shift attention from port cities to the Nile valley, indicating deeper cultural interactions.

Important Facts for Exams

• Tamil-Brahmi script was used in South India from around the 3rd century BCE.
• Berenike was a major Red Sea port linking India and the Roman Empire.
• Sangam literature provides early references to Chera, Chola and Pandya rulers.
• The Valley of the Kings is located in the Theban Necropolis in Egypt.

Implications For Early Globalisation Studies

The inscriptions provide rare epigraphic proof of Indian presence deep inside Egypt during the early centuries C.E. Beyond trade, they suggest mobility, cultural exchange and shared spaces between Mediterranean and Indian Ocean worlds.

The findings offer fresh insight into early transcontinental networks connecting Tamilagam, north-western India and the Roman Empire.