Tamil Brahmi inscriptions and other archaeological finds

[aravindhan]

According to the Hindu, three early Tamil Brahmi "hero stone" inscriptions have recently been discovered in Theni district. It appears that the two newer inscriptions are from the 3rd century BC, with the third being older.

http://www.hindu.com/2006/04/05/stor...0518340600.htm

As you probably know, the "standard" modern account of the origin of Brahmi is that the script was invented under Ashoka as an adaption of the imperial Aramaic script, expressly for the purpose of engraving Ashoka's edicts. There are a number of problems with this theory, and the discovery of such early examples of the script outside Ashoka's empire casts even more doubt on it, and strongly suggests that Brahmi which Ashoka adapted for Prakrit was already in use in India.

Perhaps it's time to revisit Nacchinakkiniyar's theory that the script was entirely derived from geometric patterns?