Tamil Iron Age

Tamil Iron Age appears on the timeline as a people or culture of Tamil south and Sri Lanka (South Asia) from c. 1000 to 300 BCE, a span of 700 years. Its people spoke Dravidian languages (Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam).

Iron-using farmers who buried their dead in large urns and stone circles, as at Adichanallur. Excavations at Keezhadi near Madurai show a brick-built town with Tamil-Brahmi graffiti on pottery.

See Tamil Iron Age on the interactive timeline

Facts

Dates: c. 1000 to 300 BCE
Duration: 700 years
Type: People or culture
Region: Tamil south and Sri Lanka, South Asia
Language family: Dravidian

Events in South Asia during its time

1000 BCE Iron spreads across the Ganges plain
483 BCE Death of the Buddha
326 BCE Alexander at the Hydaspes

Neighbours in South Asia

Maurya Empire 322 to 185 BCE
Anuradhapura Kingdom 377 BCE to 1017 CE
Kuru Kingdom c. 1200 to 500 BCE
Achaemenid eastern satrapies c. 535 to 330 BCE
Magadha (Haryanka dynasty) c. 544 to 413 BCE
Nanda Empire c. 345 to 322 BCE
Panchala c. 1100 to 350 BCE
Early Cholas c. 300 BCE to 300 CE
Early Cheras c. 300 BCE to 300 CE
Early Pandyas c. 300 BCE to 250 CE

Elsewhere in the world at the same time

Carthage c. 814 to 146 BCE, North and West Africa
Roman Republic 509 to 27 BCE, Europe
Greek city-states c. 800 to 338 BCE, Europe
Neo-Assyrian Empire 911 to 609 BCE, Middle East
Ptolemaic Kingdom 305 to 30 BCE, North and West Africa
Achaemenid Empire 550 to 330 BCE, Middle East
Athens 508 to 322 BCE, Europe
Empire of Alexander the Great 334 to 312 BCE, Middle East
Empire of Alexander the Great 336 to 323 BCE, Europe

Questions

When did Tamil Iron Age exist?

c. 1000 to 300 BCE, about 700 years. These dates are approximate, because the evidence for its beginning or end is uncertain.

Where was Tamil Iron Age?

Tamil south and Sri Lanka, in South Asia.

What language did Tamil Iron Age speak?

Dravidian. This family includes Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam.