Overview
- Researchers documented close to 30 inscriptions dated to the 1st–3rd centuries CE across six rock-cut tombs in the Theban Necropolis, including the tomb of Ramesses VI.
- About 20 inscriptions are in Tamil-Brahmi, with others in Sanskrit, Prakrit, and Gandhari-Kharosthi, indicating visitors from multiple regions of the Indian subcontinent.
- The name “Cikai Korran” appears eight times across several tombs, including an inscription reading “Cikai Korran came and saw,” echoing contemporary Greek visitor graffiti.
- The team interprets the texts as graffiti left by traders who traveled inland from Red Sea ports and likely spent extended periods in Egypt during the Roman era.
- The findings were presented on February 11 at the International Conference on Tamil Epigraphy in Chennai, with further scholarly assessment of dating and context expected.