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The major water resources were rivers, dams, tanks, lakes, wells and canals. Inscriptions refer to the digging of wells, lakes and tanks, Several methods of irrigation like பாய்தல், வாருதல் and இறைத்தல் were adopted. The wells were hardly dug artificially. Wells had names like காஞ்சிக்கூவல் and கொல்லன்கூவல். In sangam times there were two rivers; காவிரி and அரிசில். The Chola kings dug many new rivers like வீரசோழன் and விக்கிரமன் ஆறு, பராந்தகன் created lakes like வீராணம். The water resources were carefully maintained through regular desilting.
Farmlands were known by various names like பூமி, செய், நன்செய், புன்செய் etc. They were also given names like கொற்றன் வயல் என்ற பேருடைய நிலம். The names changed when the land changed hands. Some farmlands were referred to on the basis of their produce. For example எள்ளு விளையும் பூமி, மஞ்சள் விளையும் பூமி.
The farm produce was divided into two categories; வான்பயிர் (eg.) நெல், கரும்பு, வாழை, மா, பலா , etc. and புன்பயிர் (eg) எள், வரகு, பருத்தி, ஆமணக்கு. The tax was more on வான்பயிர்.
There were several groups of traders (eg.) நானா தேசி; அஞ்சுவண்ணம் etc, They held meetings which were known as சித்திரமேழிப் பெரியநாட்டார் சபை. The traders were highly devotional. Their names indicate this; (eg.) காடையூரில் சிறியான் பிள்ளையான சிவபெருமான், They built temples like தேசி விநாயகர் கோயில், பதினெண் விஷய விண்ணகரம் etc. Even the wives of traders made donations to temples.
The traders carried their material in vehicles or on bulls. A huge trade fair was organised in பாண்டிய நாடு in 13th century A.D. The goods sold there range from salt and rice to horses and elephants. Early Tamils were highly sophiscated farmers and traders.