What information on ancient tamilakam can be gathered from megalithic monuments?
Answers
Tamilakam refers to the geographical region inhabited by the ancient Tamil people. Tamilakam covered today's Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry, Lakshadweep and southern parts of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Traditional accounts and Tholkāppiyam referred these territories as a single cultural area, where Tamil was the natural language [note 1] and culture of all people.[note 2] The ancient Tamil country was divided into kingdoms. The best known among them were the Cheras, Cholas, Pandyans and Pallavas. During the Sangam period, Tamil culture began to spread outside Tamilakam.[3] Ancient Tamil settlements were also found in Sri Lanka (Sri Lankan Tamils) and the Maldives (Giravarus).
We have learned about the ancient Tamilakam which stretches from Tirupati to
Kanyakumari. Observe the pictures of the megalithic monuments in the textbook. If there are
monuments like this in your area, gather information. Include them and prepare a description of
the megalithic period.