The Personality of India: Pre- and Proto-historic Foundation of India and Pakistan c12.10

c12.10

The greatest single advance in archaeological techniques is the knowledge of the rate of disintegration of the radio-active element of Carbon (Carbon-14) present in small quantities in archaeological antiquities.⁴ It is very gratifying to learn that the National Physical Laboratory of India has joined the chain of laboratories trying to help the archaeologist in dating the antiquities. This method, which is still in an experimental stage, gives large standard-deviations and hence its applicability to recent periods is somewhat doubtful, till the techniques improve. Zeuner is also studying the effects of soil-forming processes and other contaminating agencies on the quantity of C-14⁵. Yet, a few crucial dates from carefully sorted material would be a good starting point for our chronology. Fortunately, the recent work of Fairservis⁶ and Casal⁷ in Baluchistan and Afghanistan respectively, to which reference will be made later, has proved to be very useful for a general review of the position in the Indus basin.