Page:Origin and spread of the Tamils.djvu/12



It is said that Geology looks farther than History. According to the geologist the antiquity of South India and Ceylon goes to the earliest Geological times. From Palaeozoic times there was the continent of Gondwana extending from Australia through Peninsular India and South Africa on to South America. At the close of the Mesozoic era this continent of Gondwana land broke up; large areas went under the ocean. Australia, India, South Africa and South America became separated. But it is believed that India and Africa were still connected by an isthmus bridge, and to this the name 'Lemuria' has been given. In the Jurassic epoch the eastward extension of the Indian Peninsula sank beneath the sea and gave rise to the Bay of Bengal. Towards the end of the last Glacial period the sea level which was low, rose again with the melting of ice and resulted in extensive reef formation. It was during this period again the large area of dry land including Sumatra, Java and Borneo became eroded and peneplaned, and when the sea rose, the peneplaned area