History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c39.s2.t1: The Iron Age and Second Urbanisation
History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c39.s2.t1
- Language
- English
The Iron Age and Second Urbanisation
v1.c39.s2.t1.1
The present author has presented elsewhere (Biswas, 1991, ch. XII) elaborate and critical discussions on the onset of Iron Age in India. Discovery and use of iron started around 1200 B.C. indigenously in at least three nuclear zones - Karnataka in the south (e.g. Komaranhalli, 1200-1100 B.C.), U.P. Rajasthan area in the north (chalcolithic Ahar transmitting the tradition of furnace technology and first iron in the neighbouring Atranjikhera site in U.P. C-14 dated 1155 B.C.) and West Bengal-Bihar area in the north-east (partially reduced iron oxide in Pandu Rajar Dhibi, 1250 B.C. and carburized iron celt showing pearlite in Barudih site dated 1200 B.C.).
v1.c39.s2.t1.2
The above data clearly suggest cultural contacts between the three nuclear zones and indigenous diffusion of iron technology from one zone to another. The remote possibility of Sialk VI iron-making tradition (which flourished only after 9th century B.C.) influencing the whole of India through the immigrant Aryans (Banerjee, 1965) may be safely ruled out. There are enough evidences of early experimentation, imperfect solid-state reduction, wastage of iron in the slag etc. in the sites of each of the three nuclear zones to justify the theory of indigenous origin.
v1.c39.s2.t1.3
The metalsmiths of Komaranhalli and Tadakanahalli evolved lamination technique (alternate layers of non-carburised wrought iron and carburised iron) (Agrawala, Narain and Bhatia, 1990), centuries before the appearance of the earliest known (outside India) laminated object (Egyptian knife, 900 B.C.).