History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c11.s2.t3: The Jorwe Culture
History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c11.s2.t3
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The Jorwe Culture
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Maharashtra, the home of the Jorwe culture, is composed mostly of the Deccan plateau, and only the river valleys have open plains with rich soil cover. Annual rainfall is in the range of 50-100cm, but it varies greatly from year to year and droughts are frequent. The vegetation is xerophytic (examples include acacia, tamarin, and *caparis*). The vast alluvial stretches in the Pravara-Godavari basins have more than 3m of fertile soil, and the main Jorwe culture sites are located on these alluvial flats. Smaller Jorwe sites seem to be concentrated around major centres. The former usually have only a few huts and an area of 2-3 ha whereas a major centre, such as Prakash in the Tapti Valley, Inamgaon in the Bhima Valley, and Diamabad in the Godavari Basin, may cover 20 ha. Excavated Jorwe sites include Inamgaon, Theur, Songaon, and Chandoli in Poona District, Bahal in Jalgaon District; Prakash in Dulia District; and Jorwe and Nevasa in Ahmednagar District (Dhavalikar 1979b).
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Fig. 7. Daimabad bronze rhino on wheels. For discussion see the text
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A variety of materials like agate, carnelian, jasper, chalcedony, gold, copper, and ivory were used for making ornamental beads; copper anklets and gold ear ornaments have also been reported.
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A pair of tongs and a crucible indicate local gold working, although the gold itself may have been imported from Kolar. Copper was also used to make axes, chisels, knives, fishhooks, beads and bangles. A smelting kiln has been identified at Inamgaon.
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Fig. 8. Daimabad bronze elephant. Height: 36.5cm. For discussion see the text