do not belong to the Dravidian race but are anthropologically Iranians. And the existence of such words as ba, வாய், vay, (mouth); pu, புழு, puzhu, (worm); bei, வை, vai (straw); khal, கல், kal, (stone) ; bil, வில், vil (bow); khan, கண், kan, (eye) ; mus, மூக்கு, mukku (nose): telh, தேள், tel (scorpion); palh, பால், pal, (milk); tugh, தூங்கு, tungu, (sleep); gal, கள், kal(plural termination); irat, இரண்டு, irandu, (two); &c., and the sentences like, I mumto bareva, நான் நும்மோடு வருவேன், irresistably lead us to the same conclusion.
Arachæological Evidence : 'The Indian oblong sarcophagi,' says Mr. V. A. Smith, 'discovered at various places in the Madras districts of Chingleput, Nellore, North and South Arcot, are practically identical in form with similar objects found at Gehrareh near Bagdad. This fact is one of many indications connecting archaic Indian civilization with that of Babylonia and Assyria, which suggest tempting ethnological speculations. The author of Manimekalai enumerates five methods of disposing of the dead as prevalent in his days among the Tamils, that is about the third century A. D. They were (1) cremation, (2) exposure in an open place to be eaten by jackals and vultures, (3) burial, (4) stuffing the corpse in natural pits, and (5) covering it up with big earthen jars, (தாழி).
சுடுவோ ரிடுவோர் தொடுகுழிப் படுப்போர்
தாழ்வயி னடைப்போர் தாழியிற் கவிப்போர்.
So far as we know, the only early nation who exposed the dead in this fashion was the ancient
