Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c16.s4.2

v1.c16.s4.2

Stone axes were found in large numbers in Tekkalakota, Hallur and other sites of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The commonest axe form was pointed-butt axe. Considerable time must have been spent to produce one finished item. Rocks such as dolerite, basalt and gneiss were first brought to the required shape by flaking. Crystalline rocks such as granite would not flake regularly, and were therefore hammered or pecked into shape. Then the blades were ground in deep grooves of nearby rock and then polished. This tradition persisted even after the introduction of iron and was shared by a wide variety of communities located from Central India to the southernmost tip of the peninsula. (Sankalia, 1974: 541; Allchins, 1983: 286-96)