Prehistory and Protohistory in India and Pakistan c5.s9: Chalcolithic
Prehistory and Protohistory in India and Pakistan c5.s9
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Chalcolithic
c5.s9.1
The "Chalcolithic" has all the above features of the Neolithic, but in addition objects of copper occur in small quantities. The pottery is now generally painted, though not all. Whether these few copper objects were locally made or imported, it has not been ascertained. Hence the uncertainty about the true state of the inhabitants' knowledge of copper, its smelting etc.20a The last is indeed a test or the leading characteristic. However, since a few objects of copper occur almost everywhere in the Deccan, Central India, Rajputana, Saurashtra and do not occur in the South-east Zone, the former have been assigned to the Chalcolithic. Further all these—the Neolithic and the Chalcolithic—have been simply called cultures, and further distinguished by the name of the type-site, such as Nevasa or Navdatoli Chalcolithic or Bellary Neolithic. In each case, besides pottery, other objects which give some idea of the life of the people are available; hence to designate them as assemblages or industries would be under-estimating the evidence.
c5.s9.2
20a Such evidence is now forthcoming from Ahar in south-east Rajasthan and Kaundinyapura, near Amaroti in Vidarbha.