Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c10.s4.5

v1.c10.s4.5

Agricultural traditions during seventh-fourth millennium BC needed extensive technology of stone artefacts, and this was developed in the Ganga-Vindhya complex, Bagor area in Rajasthan and the Mehargarh area in Baluchistan. Each centre produced a large variety of stone tools. (Sankalia, 1970, 1982) Blades and burins of flint, quartzite basalt, dyke basalt, chalcedony, obsidian (very sharp edge possible), jasper, chert etc. were produced in large scale around Mehargarh, Kile Gul Mohammad, Damb Sadaat, Balakot etc. Deposits of fine chert of Rohri and Sukkur might have been used for final polishing of agricultural tools. Pliable agricultural fields in the Indus valley could be easily tilled by copper hoes (narrow long axes and broad chisels) and, even before the chalcolithic period, by chert blades mounted on sticks. (Agrawal, 1971: 237) The Indus plain provided the ideal scenario-availability of hard stones and copper ore, semi-arid fertile land for agriculture, cattle (bull) power, agricultural surplus further triggering artisan activities, scope of riverine and marine trade etc. — all the factors promoting a smooth transition from the neolithic rural to the bronze urban age.