A 1000 year old stone slab containing a Tamil inscription, clearly in the alphabet of the Chola times, was found in Trincomalee while digging for cricket stadium construction work recently.
The inscription was found on land on the right side of the Koa'neasvaram Road leading to the Siva temple inside Fort Frederick. The location is adjacent to the bay where the temple's Theerththam (water cutting) ritual is held.
The inscribed slab, which has a large perforation at the centre reminiscent of anchors and sluice gates, was taken into possession by the Trincomalee police and was sent to the Department of Archaeology in Colombo, reports Tamilnet.com.
The construction work in the land has been suspended by the Department of Archaeology.
Estampages of the inscription will be sent to relevant scholars as early as possible by the Department of Archaeology of Sri Lanka, for a quicker and detailed analysis. (ANI)