How 5 symbols on an ancient bowl found near Salem may change what we know about India's writing history

An archaeological excavation at Thelunganur, near Salem in Tamil Nadu, has uncovered a black-and-red ware bowl bearing five graffiti symbols, potentially offering new clues about early writing systems in southern India. The bowl was found alongside iron weapons, copper objects and a possible steel sword in the water spread area of the Mettur dam. Archaeologists believe the symbols could represent an early form of communication that existed more than 3,200 years ago and may help researchers understand the origins of the Tamil-Brahmi script, a TOI report stated.

Five symbols on a bowl raise questions about early writing

The bowl carries five symbols arranged from left to right, marking the longest sequence of such signs recorded in Tamil Nadu so far. Another bowl recovered from the site bears the same five symbols in a different order.

Researchers are examining whether the arrangement reflects an early writing system rather than decorative marks. The discovery could also help explain the development of scripts in the region before the emergence of Tamil-Brahmi, which dates to the sixth century BCE.


Thelunganur and Mangadu, two Iron Age archaeological sites near Salem, have been dated to between 1,600 BCE and 1,200 BCE. This period overlaps with the final phase of the Indus Valley Civilisation, which existed between 3,300 BCE and 1,300 BCE.

The similarities between graffiti marks found at these sites and symbols associated with the Indus Valley Civilisation have drawn researchers' attention to possible links between the two traditions.

Researchers seek to decipher the graffiti marks

K Rajan, adviser to the Tamil Nadu Department of Archaeology and co-author of a morphological study of Indus signs and graffiti marks found in the state, said the discovery offered new material for comparison.

“In the 1960s, ASI had found three graffiti signs in different orders at Sanur near Chengalpet. Now we’ve found five symbols in two different orders. We have to decipher the meaning,” Rajan said.

Archaeologists have recovered around 16,000 pottery fragments bearing graffiti marks across Tamil Nadu. A recent morphological study found that symbols from sites such as Kodumanal, Keeladi, Thulukkarpatti and Kilnamandi share about 90% similarities with marks found at Indus Valley sites.

Researchers are studying these similarities to understand whether the symbols point to a shared tradition or connections between different communities. However, the meaning of the newly discovered sequence remains undeciphered.

Tamil-Brahmi stone inscriptions and inscribed pottery fragments also contain symbols at the ends of letters. Researchers believe these marks could preserve traces of an earlier communication system, although further study is needed to establish their significance.

Iron weapons and a possible steel sword recovered

The excavation has also yielded several objects that shed light on metalworking and the use of weapons during the Iron Age.

Among the finds is an iron spear measuring 1.9 metres. The team also recovered arrowheads, axes, swords, daggers, knives and iron nails.

“We also found arrowheads, axes, swords, daggers, knives and iron nails,” said S Paranthaman, excavation director at the site. “One other object found is suspected to be an ancient steel sword.”

The possible steel sword is among the objects that researchers will examine to establish its age and material characteristics. The site had earlier attracted attention after a steel sword discovered there was dated to 1,200 BCE, making it one of the world's oldest known examples, according to the source.

Four types of Iron Age burials found at one site

The excavation has also revealed complete skeletal remains of two Iron Age individuals. Archaeologists identified four types of burials at the site: pit, cist, urn and sarcophagus.

The presence of different burial forms at a single location could offer insights into the community's practices and development over time.

“We found four types of burials — pit, cist, urn and sarcophagus — at a single site, reflecting the composite nature of the community. This indicates that the site evolved from the Early Iron Age to the Late Iron Age,” Paranthaman said.

The combination of pottery bearing graffiti marks, metal objects and different burial structures makes Thelunganur an important site for further archaeological research. Researchers will need to study the symbols and artefacts in greater detail to establish what they reveal about communication, technology and social life in the region more than three millennia ago.