An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c9.s16.4

v1.c9.s16.4

(2) *Post-Chalcolithic but pre-NBPW stage in c. India (Malwa).* Very little is known about this stage except that it possesses iron. The main type sites are NAGDA and ERAN, neither of which is properly published. All that we know of this stage at ERAN is that this is a continuation of the earlier Chalcolithic elements [4.14.5] with the addition of iron and the dominance of a black-and-red ware. A little more is known about this stage at NAGDA (Banerjee, 1965). First, the earlier Chalcolithic elements continue to occur at this stage. Even as many as 112 microliths have been reported from this level. A black-and-red ware present earlier seems to become the dominant ware, although there are new varieties like a black-slipped ware, a granular-surfaced coarse ware [Vesiculated Ware, 11.17] and a double-slipped ware with a black slip over a red-slipped base. The houses are of mud-brick. The stone objects comprise grinding stones, pestles [6.19], mace-heads, sling-stones, hammers, etc. There are glass bangles and beads of terracotta, semiprecious stones, ivory and coral. Apart from terracotta spindle whorls [6.25] there is a double-pointed object of ivory with a median recess suggesting 'the shape of a shuttle, an essential equipment of looms'. A flattish figure of ivory suggests symbolically a human figure and could have been used as a piece of ornament. There is also 'a human-shaped figure in ivory with a naturalistic head and a pronounced hip'. The use of copper is apparently confined to minor objects. Iron objects are found right from the lowest level of this deposit at NAGDA and comprise a double-edged dagger, socket of an axe, spoon, axe with a broad cutting edge, ring, nail, arrowhead, spearhead, knife, sickle, etc. There are three ¹⁴C dates from the iron-bearing level at ERAN: 1040 ± 110, 1270 ± 110 and 1239 ± 71 B.C. The iron-bearing level at NAGDA has been dated by the writer *c.* 1100 B.C. at the latest (Chakrabarti, 1977) although Banerjee has put this level around 800 B.C.