Hierarchy classification:

1. top of the aat hierarchies
2. Styles and Periods Facet
3. Styles and Periods (hierarchy name)
4. [styles, periods, and cultures by region]
5. Asian
6. South Asian

Anotations

Scope note:

Ancient culture and style of a certain non-Indo-European people who flourished in South Asia, and who continue today in southern India, Sri Lanka, and elsewhere. Among distinguishing characteristics are architectural styles, distinctive clothing and hair styles, and as well as language. Many scholars believe that Dravidian languages are unrelated to any other extant language family, although there is extensive lexical borrowing, with Tamil being the oldest existing Dravidian language. Dravidian loanwords in Sanskrit date to around 1500 BCE, meaning the culture and its influence were firmly established prior to that date.