In 1970, the
University of Pennsylvania museum team excavated a
ceramic sequence remarkably similar to that of
Arikamedu in
Tamil Nadu, with a Pre-rouletted ware period, subdivided into an earlier "Megalithic", a later "Pre-rouletted ware phase," followed by a "Rouletted ware period". Tentatively assigned to the fourth century BCE,
radio carbon dating later confirmed an outer date of the ceramics and
Megalithic cultural commencement in Kandarodai to 1300 BCE. During this excavation, the university team discovered a potsherd carrying a
Sinhalese Prakrit inscription written in Brahmi scripts.
Black and red ware Kanterodai potsherd with
Tamil Brahmi scripts from 300 BCE excavated with
Roman coins,
early Pandyan coins, early
Chera Dynasty coins from the emporium
Karur punch-marked with images of the Hindu Goddess
Lakshmi from 500 BCE,
punch-marked coins called
Puranas from 6th-5th century BCE India, and
copper kohl sticks similar to those used by the
Egyptians found in Uchhapannai, Kandarodai indicate active transoceanic maritime trade between ancient Jaffna Tamils and other continental kingdoms in the prehistoric period. The parallel third century BCE discoveries of
Manthai, Anaikoddai and
Vallipuram detail the arrival of a megalithic culture in Jaffna long before the Buddhist-Christian era and the emergence of rudimentary settlements that continued into early historic times marked by urbanization. Some scholars have identified
Kourola mentioned by 2nd century AD
Greek geographer
Ptolemy and
Kamara mentioned by the 1st century AD
Periplus of the Erythraean Sea as being
Kadiramalai. The earliest people of
Jaffna were belonging to a megalithic culture akin to the
South Indian megalithic culture. The period of Buddhism in the
Jaffna Peninsula differ from the rest of the island, which is seen as an overlapping of the megalithic beliefs with Buddhism. According to scholars was Kantarodai, known in
Tamil literature as
Kadiramalai, the capital of the ancient Tamil Kingdom ruled by Tamil speaking
Naga kings from 7th century AD to 10th century AD. The ancient
Kadurugoda Vihara Buddhist monastery is situated at this site where a 10th-century pillar inscription of Sinhalese language recording a regal proclamation of the bequest of gifts and benefits to a Buddhist place of worship was found. ==Education==