Context:
Recent research has revised the timeline of the Iron Age in India, indicating that iron was used in Tamil Nadu as early as 3345 BCE, marking the earliest known use of iron worldwide.
Report highlights:
- For decades, Iron Age origins were centered in Mesopotamia, Anatolia, and the Indus Valley.
- Timelines often placed between the 2nd and 1st millennia BCE.
- Study Report titled: ‘Antiquity of Iron: Recent Radiometric Dates from Tamil Nadu’.
- Findings supported by Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) and Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) analyses.
- Sites and Datings:
- Sivagalai: Iron evidence from 2953–3345 BCE, with a paddy sample from 1155 BCE.
- Mayiladumparai: Iron artifacts dated to 2172 BCE, surpassing previous benchmarks.
- Kilnamandi: A sarcophagus burial dated to 1692 BCE, earliest of its kind in Tamil Nadu.
- Iron Smelting: Advanced furnaces found at Kodumanal, Chettipalayam, and Perungalur.
- Kodumanal’s furnaces: Reached 1,300°C, sufficient for sponge iron production.
- Northern India’s Copper Age and southern India’s Iron Age may have been contemporaneous due to copper scarcity in the south.
- Tamil Nadu findings challenge the traditionally accepted Iron Age timeline, previously attributed to the Hittite Empire (1300 BCE).
- Ironwork first began in Turkey before spreading to other European countries.
Phases of the Iron Age in India
- Early Iron Age (1500 BCE – 1000 BCE):
- Introduction of iron tools for agriculture and hunting (e.g., Hallur, Karnataka).
- Overlaps with the late Vedic period (texts like the Atharvaveda).
- Key Sites: Atranjikhera (Uttar Pradesh), Malhar (Chhattisgarh), etc.
- Middle Iron Age (1000 BCE – 600 BCE):
- Expansion of iron technology and urbanization.
- Emergence of Painted Grey Ware (PGW) culture in the Ganga-Yamuna plains.
- Fortified settlements like Kausambi and the rise of Janapadas.
- Key Sites: Kausambi (Uttar Pradesh), Atranjikhera (Uttar Pradesh).
- Late Iron Age (600 BCE – 200 BCE):
- Formation of Mahajanapadas and the Mauryan Empire.
- Spread of Buddhism and Jainism; Ashoka’s ethical edicts.
- Key Urban Centres: Pataliputra (Patna), Ujjain.
- Key Features of the Iron Age:
- Iron Technology: Advanced smelting techniques for durable tools and weapons.
- Agricultural Revolution: Use of iron ploughs and sickles led to surplus food production.
- Urbanization: Development of fortified cities with drainage systems and public buildings.
- Political Structures: Emergence of Janapadas, Mahajanapadas, and the dominance of the Mauryan Empire.
- Cultural Growth: Composition of texts like the Upanishads and the rise of Buddhist and Jain philosophies and art.
Iron Age in North and South India
| Aspect | Iron Age in North India | Iron Age in South India / Megalithic |
| Time Period | 1100 to 800 BC | No distinctive timeline as the Neolithic burial practices continued into the Megalithic period. |
| Pottery | Painted Grey Ware pottery, primarily in Ganga-Yamuna valley. | Presence of black-ware pottery, mainly in burial mounds in Tamil Nadu. Black-ware pottery is not found in human habitations. |
| Subsequent Culture | Followed by Northern Black Polished Ware culture, associated with the Mahajanapada and Mauryan periods. | End of Megalithic burial practices around the 2nd-3rd centuries CE. |
| Social and Economic Development | Reflects agricultural and pastoral development, leading to the growth of settlements and population. |
Dating Techniques in Archaeology and Geology
- Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS)
- Analyzes the radioactive carbon-14 content of organic materials.
- Dates relatively recent events.
- Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL)
- Measures trapped electrons in mineral grains.
- Dates sedimentary deposits exposed to sunlight.
- Allows for dating of much older materials like sand and soil.
Both AMS and OSL are essential in determining the age of archaeological and geological materials.
Source: IE
Previous Year Question
With reference to the difference between the culture of Rigvedic Aryans and Indus Valley people, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. Rigvedic Aryans used the coat of mail and helmet in warfare whereas the people of Indus Valley Civilization did not leave any evidence of using them.
2. Rigvedic Aryans knew gold, silver and copper whereas Indus Valley people knew only copper and iron.
3. Rigvedic Aryans had domesticated the horse whereas there is no evidence of Indus Valley people having been aware of this animal.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
[UPSC CSE – 2017 Prelims]
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (c)
Explanation:
Statement 2 is incorrect: Rig Vedic Aryans were familiar with gold, silver, and copper. However, the Indus Valley people also knew about bronze (an alloy of copper and tin) and possibly iron.
