Nearly 2,000 years ago, an Indian traveler identified as Cikai Korran journeyed thousands of kilometers from the Indian subcontinent to Egypt and left his name inscribed across multiple royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings.

Researchers say the discovery of his inscriptions, along with nearly 30 others written in South Asian languages, is providing new evidence of the extent to which ancient India was connected to the wider Mediterranean world during the Roman era.

The findings emerged after researchers identified inscriptions written in Old Tamil, Sanskrit, Prakrit and Gandhari-Kharosthi inside six tombs in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, one of the most significant archaeological sites of the ancient world.

The inscriptions date to between the first and third centuries CE and suggest that Indian travelers not only reached Egypt’s Red Sea ports but also ventured deep into the country’s interior.The discovery began in January 2024 when Ingo Strauch, a professor at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland, noticed markings on tomb walls that appeared different from the Greek and Latin graffiti long documented by scholars.

After photographing the inscriptions and examining them further, Strauch consulted Charlotte Schmid of the French School of Asian Studies in Paris. Schmid confirmed that some of the texts were written in Old Tamil.Together, the researchers documented nearly 30 inscriptions across six tombs.

Their findings were presented in February 2026 at the International Conference on Tamil Epigraphy in Chennai, adding a new chapter to the understanding of cultural and commercial exchanges between India and Egypt during the Roman period.

Among all the inscriptions discovered, those attributed to Cikai Korran have attracted particular attention. Researchers identified eight separate inscriptions bearing his name across five different tombs, making him the most prolific Indian visitor currently known from the site.

According to the researchers, Korran appeared determined to ensure his presence would be remembered. Several of his inscriptions were placed in highly visible but difficult-to-reach locations. One inscription inside the tomb of Ramesses IX was found approximately 16 to 20 feet above the entrance, raising questions about how he managed to access the location.

Schmid noted during the conference presentation that the placement of the inscription was unusual. The elevated position suggests a deliberate effort to make the inscription stand out from the hundreds of other marks left by visitors over centuries.Korran also inscribed his name at the entrances of the tombs of Tausret and Setnakhte.

Researchers found that his was the only known graffiti at those locations, leading to speculation that the tombs may still have been sealed or largely inaccessible when he visited.The inscriptions themselves were simple.

Researchers said they effectively stated that Cikai Korran had visited and seen the site, mirroring a practice common among Greek-speaking travelers who left similar messages throughout the Valley of the Kings. The similarity suggests Indian visitors were familiar with local customs and participated in shared cultural practices while traveling through Roman Egypt.

Another inscription identified by researchers belonged to a man named Indranandin, who described himself as a messenger of the Kshaharata dynasty, a ruling power in parts of western India during the first century CE. Researchers believe he may have traveled through the Egyptian port of Berenike before continuing inland and potentially onward toward Rome.

The inscriptions also provide evidence that some Indian travelers possessed significant linguistic and cultural knowledge. Researchers found examples where Indian-language inscriptions appeared to respond directly to nearby Greek texts. According to Schmid, the writers demonstrated awareness of a shared cultural environment and showed familiarity with multiple languages used across the eastern Mediterranean.

Such multilingual engagement suggests these travelers were more than transient merchants. Instead, they appear to have been active participants in the cosmopolitan society that developed around Roman Egypt’s trade networks, which connected Africa, the Mediterranean, Arabia and South Asia.Historians have long known that commercial links connected India and Egypt during the Roman era.

Egyptian ports on the Red Sea served as major gateways for trade between the Mediterranean world and the Indian Ocean. Previous discoveries of Indian inscriptions at Berenike and on the island of Socotra had already established the presence of South Asian merchants and travelers in the region.Archaeological evidence from Berenike has further reinforced those connections.

Studies have identified rice consumption, Indian ceramics, glass beads, textiles and botanical remains, indicating sustained interaction between communities from the Indian subcontinent and residents of Roman Egypt. Researchers have also documented earlier Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions at the port, demonstrating that Indian visitors were present centuries before the newly identified Valley of the Kings texts were recognized.

The significance of the latest discovery lies in its geographic reach. While previous evidence largely focused on ports and commercial centers, the Valley of the Kings inscriptions demonstrate that Indian travelers moved well beyond coastal settlements and visited some of Egypt’s most important cultural and religious landmarks.

Researchers say the inscriptions had technically been known for decades but remained unidentified. More than 2,000 Greek and Latin graffiti from the Valley of the Kings were cataloged by scholars after French researcher Jules Baillet documented them in 1926. However, specialists working on Egyptian archaeology rarely collaborated with experts in South Asian languages, allowing the Indian inscriptions to go unnoticed.

Egyptologist Steve Harvey said the texts were overlooked because researchers lacked the linguistic expertise needed to recognize them. While Greek and Aramaic inscriptions received considerable scholarly attention, the South Asian material remained largely unexamined.Strauch said the findings demonstrate that visitors from Tamil-speaking regions and other parts of India did more than arrive at Egyptian ports and depart again.

The evidence suggests they spent enough time in the country to travel considerable distances and visit sites of historical and cultural importance.The researchers believe the discovery may represent only a fraction of the Indian presence in ancient Egypt.

Strauch said the inscriptions reveal the integration of people from across the Indian subcontinent into Roman Egyptian society and increase the likelihood that additional Indian-language inscriptions and artifacts remain to be discovered elsewhere in the country.Alexandra von Lieven, professor of Egyptology at the University of Münster, said the texts indicate not only that Indians traveled to Egypt but that they also showed a genuine interest in Egyptian culture.

She suggested future investigations may uncover similar inscriptions at temples and other archaeological sites throughout the country.The collection of inscriptions left by Cikai Korran and other Indian travelers is reshaping scholarly understanding of ancient mobility, demonstrating that cultural exchange between South Asia and Egypt extended far beyond commerce and reached some of the most iconic monuments of the ancient world.

India’s informal workforce is increasingly struggling to cope with intensifying heat as rising daytime temperatures and warmer nights reduce opportunities for physical recovery, according to workers, researchers and a new regional study examining the impact of extreme heat across major Asian cities.

In Delhi, where temperatures have climbed above 45 degrees Celsius during recent heatwaves, delivery rider Jalaj Jha begins his workday already fatigued. The 24-year-old gig worker, who delivers groceries on a motorbike, said sleep has become increasingly difficult in the summer months because of the heat trapped inside his small rented room.

Jha, who lives in accommodation with limited ventilation and relies on a fan that circulates warm air, said he often sleeps only three to four hours a night. By the time he starts preparing for work in the morning, he already feels physically exhausted. His daily shift lasts about 12 hours, exposing him to prolonged outdoor temperatures that continue to rise through the day.

Delhi this week recorded its hottest day in May in two years and its warmest May night in 14 years, underscoring a broader trend identified by climate researchers across South Asia. Scientists have warned that night-time temperatures in many parts of the region are increasing faster than daytime temperatures, reducing the hours traditionally available for cooling and recovery after extreme heat exposure.

A report released by the United States-based organization People’s Courage International (PCI) found that rising overnight temperatures, combined with the urban heat island effect, are creating worsening conditions for millions of informal workers across South and South-East Asia. The urban heat island effect refers to the tendency of densely built urban areas to retain heat absorbed during the day, keeping temperatures elevated after sunset.

The study examined conditions in Delhi, Dhaka, Kathmandu, Jakarta and Quezon City. Researchers concluded that many workers are beginning their workdays in a state of accumulated fatigue because they are unable to cool down adequately during the night.

The report focused on workers employed in sectors that require prolonged exposure to outdoor conditions, including delivery services, construction and street vending. Many of these workers live in densely populated settlements where access to ventilation, cooling equipment and reliable electricity remains limited.Researchers said the inability to recover physically during the night is contributing to a range of health and economic pressures. Workers interviewed for the study described increasing difficulty maintaining productivity, higher spending on coping measures and greater vulnerability to heat-related illness.

According to PCI, nearly eight in ten of the more than 2,200 internal migrant workers surveyed across the five cities reported that extreme heat was affecting their livelihoods or household conditions. Respondents said they were losing income because they could not complete full work shifts during periods of extreme heat.

Many also reported spending additional money on drinking water, transportation, medicines and other heat-related necessities.The study documented widespread reports of headaches, dizziness, fatigue and reduced work capacity during prolonged exposure to high temperatures. Researchers said these effects often develop gradually rather than through dramatic medical emergencies, making the broader impact of heat difficult to recognize despite its cumulative consequences.

“Heat impacts are silent and generally creep up on workers,” PCI researcher Ameena Kidwai said. She noted that workers described heat-related disruptions not only during working hours but also during commuting, at home and in their broader social lives. The effects, she said, extended to mental wellbeing and community interactions.

The findings come as climate scientists warn that global warming is increasing the likelihood and severity of heatwaves across South Asia. Researchers have projected that climate change could significantly increase the probability of prolonged pre-monsoon heatwaves in the region. Last month, a 15-day heatwave affected large areas of South Asia and was linked to fatalities.

The International Labour Organization estimates that more than 70 percent of workers across Asia are exposed to excessive heat during at least part of their employment. The risks are particularly significant in countries such as India, where nearly 90 percent of workers are employed in the informal economy and often lack workplace protections available in formal sectors.

Ajay Kumar, a 32-year-old vegetable vendor working in Gurugram near Delhi, said extreme heat has become a daily challenge. Kumar purchases produce from a wholesale market approximately seven kilometers from where he sells vegetables and transports the goods using a three-wheeled rickshaw through heavy traffic.

He said the heat frequently causes dizziness while he works, but economic pressures leave little room to reduce his hours. Kumar supports a family of six and migrated from Bihar four years ago in search of employment opportunities.Living conditions further compound the challenge. Kumar, his wife and four children occupy a single room with minimal ventilation and only a basic fan for cooling.

He said he had hoped to purchase an air cooler before summer but could not afford the expense.According to Kumar, his daily earnings generally range between 300 and 400 rupees, with most of the income devoted to household necessities. To manage the heat, he carries water and keeps a damp scarf around his head while working.Even after returning home, relief is limited.

During particularly hot nights, Kumar and his family sleep on the open terrace of their building because indoor temperatures remain too high for comfort. Despite moving outdoors, he said it can still take several hours before he is able to fall asleep.Governments across the region have introduced measures aimed at reducing heat-related risks. Delhi authorities have implemented heat action plans that include public advisories, early warning systems, water distribution points and recommendations encouraging the rescheduling of outdoor work during the hottest parts of the day.

Researchers, however, said many existing responses remain focused on immediate heat emergencies rather than the broader issue of recovery and living conditions. They argued that policies addressing housing quality, ventilation, access to cooling and worker protections will become increasingly important as temperatures continue to rise.

The PCI report found that for many workers, the most significant impact of extreme heat is not limited to the hours spent outdoors. Instead, it is the growing inability to recover between shifts, creating what researchers described as a “recovery deficit” that leaves workers physically depleted before each new workday begins.

Dissanayake said Washington had sought permission for the aircraft to land at Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport between March 4 and March 8.

The planes were reportedly carrying anti-ship missiles and were to arrive from a U.S. base in Djibouti.“We turned down the request to maintain Sri Lanka’s neutrality,” Dissanayake said, adding that the decision was met with approval from lawmakers.

The president said Sri Lanka also rejected a separate request from Iran for three naval vessels to make a goodwill visit between March 9 and March 13 after participating in an Indian naval exercise.

“We were considering this request. Had we said ‘yes’ to Iran, we would have had to say ‘yes’ to the U.S. as well,” he said, indicating Colombo’s effort to avoid alignment with either side.

The decisions come amid heightened tensions following military action by the United States and Israel against Iran in late February, which has disrupted energy flows and unsettled global markets.

Sri Lanka’s navy was also involved in rescue operations linked to the conflict. Authorities said 32 Iranian crew members were rescued from the vessel IRIS Dena after it was torpedoed on March 4, in an incident that reportedly caused significant casualties.

A second vessel, IRIS Booshehr, and its crew were assisted after encountering technical difficulties near Sri Lankan waters.

The developments coincide with a visit by Sergio Gor, who met Dissanayake on Thursday as part of ongoing diplomatic engagement.

Sri Lanka, still recovering from a financial crisis that peaked in 2022, is facing renewed economic pressure due to energy supply disruptions linked to the regional conflict, underscoring the challenges of maintaining a neutral stance.