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Evidence of Iron Age in Tamil Nadu

Posted on May 14, 2022 by admin1  1570

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  • Carbon dating of findings of excavation in Tamil Nadu bring forth evidence of iron being used in India 4,200 years ago.

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  • Excavations at a small hamlet called Mayiladumparai in Tamil Nadu have pushed back the date since iron has been used in India.
  • Further study can reveal that the onset of agrarian civilisation and cultural seeds in the sub-continent was even earlier than what is known today.

Excavation and Important Findings

  • Site: 
    • The sites of excavations are in Mayiladumparai near Krishnagiri in Tamil Nadu, about 100 km south of Bengaluru.
    • It is an important site with cultural material dating between the Microlithic (30,000 BCE) and Early Historic (600 BCE) ages.
  • Other important sites in vicinity: 
    • Togarapalli, Gangavaram, Sandur, Vedarthattakkal, Guttur, Gidlur, Sappamutlu and Kappalavadi.
  • Method deployed: 
    • The excavation has been done using accelerator mass spectroscopy.
  • Findings:
    • The finding has led to the evidence of iron use in Tamil Nadu to 2172 BCE (4200 years ago) now.
    • Prior to the excavation the earliest evidence of iron use in the region was from 1500 BCE (3500 years ago).
    • For India as a whole the evidence of earliest iron use was from 1900-2000 BCE (4000 years ago).
    • The excavation has revised the earliest date of iron usage in India.
  • Marked continuity: 
    • The site has remnants of both neolithic age and Iron age.

Timeline of Iron Usage in India

  • Period in which humans entered the Iron Age varied from region to another. Therefore, the subsequent excavations in India have kept on pushing back the earliest date of iron usage.
  • 1300 BCE: As per 1979 excavation at Ahar, Rajasthan.
  • 1530 BCE: Excavation at Bukkasagara, Karnataka.
  • 1700-1800 BCE: Excavation at Raipura in the Mid-Ganga valley.
  • 1900-2000 BCE: Excavation at Malhar near Varanasi and Brahmagiri in North Karnataka.
  • In nutshell, a series of excavations from various parts in India have shown evidence of iron-ore technology before 1800 BCE so far.
  • The current findings of Tamil nadu will further push the date back.

Historical significance of Iron

  • The iron usage led to the production of agricultural tools and weapons, thereby advancing civilisation in the social,  economic and cultural realm.
  • Though copper was known to Indus Valley people but being brittle in nature was incapable of clearing forests for agricultural use.
  • The usage of iron led to agrarian-based economy leading to socio-economic changes and massive production which further became the genesis of complex cultural milieu like the development of Tamil Brahmi script, different art forms across India.

Potential link with Indus Valley Civilisation

  • The site has both Neolithic and Iron Age habitation as found in the excavation of mound in the terraces of the hillock named S???rappa?malai, which manifests the continuity and not standalone feature of the site.
  • The rock art with paintings both in red and white pigments was observed in the rock shelter called Ni?al-su?ai (nekul-ju?ai) and the grooves used for polishing Neolithic celts were also noticed near the rock shelter.
  • Historians are of the view that the graffities found at Keeladi have potential linkage with Indus Valley Civilisation because of marked continuity in evolution of the paintings. 
  • However detailed research would be required along with supporting evidence to ascertain the linkage.

Iron Age

  • The Iron Age in the Indian subcontinent was the one succeeding the Late Harappan Culture. The period is known because of the material of tools used in the time frame.
  • The era coincides with the Vedic Age in the historical timeline.
  • It is associated with Indo-Aryan people and also saw the emergence of Buddhism and Jainism.
  • Painted Grey Ware and the Northern Black Polished Ware were the prominent cultures of the era.
  • The era saw the major settlement of the time concentrating towards the eastern side from the Sapta-Sindhu region which was in the west.
  • The earliest Iron Age sites in South India are Malhar in Uttar Pradesh, Hallur and Brahmagiri in Karnataka.
  • Ancient history timeline:
    • Paleolithic Period: 2 million BC – 10,000 BC
    • Mesolithic Period: 10,000 BC – 8000 BC
    • Neolithic Period: 8000 BC – 4000 BC
    • Chalcolithic Period: 4000 BC – 1500 BC
    • Iron Age: 1500 BC – 200 BC 

Source:  TH

 
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