The Personality of India: Pre- and Proto-historic Foundation of India and Pakistan c15.s1.t2.7

c15.s1.t2.7

Before we close this discussion, we have similar close affinities between the Chalcolithic cultures of Malwa, Maharashtra and Andhra-Karnatak. Here again the sure binding link is the blade industry, which has been traced as far south as Maski, Brahmagiri and Sanganakallu. But we see one remarkable fact. The foci of the Southern Neolithic cultures was the lower basin of Krishna (Andhra-Karnatak). While the Chalcolithic cultures started a south-east movement, we see a reciprocal movement from the South. At Nevasa, the typical chalcolithic elements of Malwa combine with it, polished celt (probably indicating dearth of copper and trade with the South) and the coarse grey ware vessels, the most prominent being the Brahmagiri urn type. Similarly at Bahal on the Girna, the lowest phase Ia again shows the grey fabrics, while the black-on-red wares appear in Ib, showing again the close inter-locking of these various cultures. Hence when this Chalcolithic element with its black-on-red wares, blades and metals, penetrated further south, they could not alter the economic character of the dominant neolithic industry. Thus this inter-action of these Neolithic and Chalcolithic elements are very interesting and need further attention. Whether this Chalcolithic culture managed to spread into Tamilnad, as also the true distribution of the Neolithic in that area need further study.