An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c11.s10: 6.10 Knives
An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c11.s10
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6.10 Knives
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The earliest known specimens of copper or bronze knives, from the Harappa culture [4.9], are of a simple type with a thin tanged blade and pointed top, the cutting edge being on the curved side and the back slightly thickened. In a number of specimens, e.g. from Chanhudaro, there are rivet holes for the fixing of wooden handles. Most of these specimens are made of sheet metal and are not cast. Basically the same type continued in the Chalcolithic cultures of c. India and the Deccan [4.14.5, 6]. During the Megalithic period [4.17], when copper was replaced by iron, knives with blades with a short tang and circular section came into use as is revealed from the finds at TAKALGHAT, KHAPA, SANUR and BRAHMAGIRI.
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In the early historical period two types were fairly common, viz. concave-backed and with straight back and tapering edge. The former type has been found at sites like NASIK, KAUŚĀMBĪ, BESNAGAR, MAHESHWAR, NEVASA, JORWE, NAGARA and SISUPALGARH. The earliest among these are from NASIK, assignable to the period between 300 B.C. and A.D. 400. Specimens have been found at KAUŚĀMBĪ, from level assigned to A.D. 600. A noteworthy feature of the NAGARA specimen is that it has a handle made of iron, not found elsewhere. Specimens of the latter type have been reported from the early historical levels of VAIŚĀLĪ, SAMBHAR, BANGARH and Kondivte. It can thus be assumed that knives with curved or pointed and rectangular tang were the common type as evidenced by the finds from NASIK, JORWE and NEVASA. There are some specimens from TER and AHAR², datable between the 1st century B.C. and the 3rd century A.D. The specimens from TER are tanged and curved knives with concavoconvex sides and plano-convex sides, while those from AHAR² are with tapering end, one edge sharp and the other blunt. Iron knives were extensively used in the Indo-Roman period (1st century B.C. to 2nd-3rd centuries A.D.) NEVASA, where there is a variety with tang and pointed end.
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Mackay, E.J.H., 1938, *Further Excavations at Mohenjo-daro*, Delhi, 1, pp. 462-6; 1943, *Chanhu-daro Excavations (1935-6)*, New Haven, pp. 180-2. Vats. M.S., 1940, *Excavations at Harappa*, Delhi, 1, p. 386. For sites see respective entries in vol. II.—A. BANERJI