- Tamil bell
The Tamil Bell is a broken
bronze bell discovered in approximately1836 by themissionary William Colenso . It was being used as a pot to boil potatoes byMāori women nearWhangarei in theNorthland Region ofNew Zealand .The bell is 13 cm long and 9 cm deep, and has an inscription. The
inscription running around the rim of the bell has been identified as old Tamil.(see pic [http://www.teara.govt.nz/NewZealanders/NewZealandPeoples/SriLankans/1/ENZ-Resources/Standard/3/en here] ) Translated it says "Muhayideen Baksh’s ship’s bell". Some of the characters in the inscription are of an archaic form no longer seen in modern Tamil script; thus suggesting that the bell could be about 500 years old. The discovery of the bell has led to speculation about a possible Tamil presence in New Zealand, but the bell 'is not in itself proof of early Tamil contact with New Zealand' (Howe 2003:145).The bell was bequeathed by William Colenso to the Dominion Museum - now the
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa .References
* [http://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/objectdetails.aspx?oid=213397&coltype=taonga%20maori®no=me000842/1 The Tamil Bell from the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa]
*Kerry R. Howe (2003). "The Quest for Origins: Who First Discovered and Settled New Zealand and the Pacific Islands?" Auckland:Penguin.
*Nancy Swarbrick. 'Sri Lankans', "Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand", updated 25-Jul-2007. URL: [http://www.teara.govt.nz/NewZealanders/NewZealandPeoples/SriLankans/1/ENZ-Resources/Standard/3/en]
*Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, [http://www.tepapa.govt.nz/TePapa/English/CollectionsAndResearch/FAQs/History.htm#tamilbell FAQ: What is the Tamil Bell?] . Accessed 13 September 2007.
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