Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c17.s2: Chalcolithic Culture in the Easterly Provinces

Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c17.s2

Language: English

v1.c17.s2.t1 Bar-Celt — 1 part
v1.c17.s2.t2 Rings — 6 parts

Chalcolithic Culture in the Easterly Provinces

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The copper hoard sites of the easterly provinces are located near the eastern fringe of Chota Nagpur plateau with a copper belt not far off. Only exception is Chatla, situated in Midnapore-Balasore border, from where a single copper axe has been discovered and this seems to be an isolated phenomenon. The main sites in West Bengal are Tamajuri, Parihati, Jamboni, Aguiboni, Chatla, Bhaktabandh, Kulgara and Perua. (Bose, 1987: 39-40) These sites in the Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia districts are quite close to the copper belt of the Chota Nagpur plateau.

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Tool kits discovered from these sites mainly consist of shouldered celts, bar-celts, double-edged axes, rings, discs and a peculiar object, shaped somewhat like a ‘hansuli’ or handle of a ‘Karai’. These tool types are generally found in Bihar, West Bengal, Orissa and Eastern Madhya Pradesh and have a basic difference from those found in the Gaṅgā-Yamunā Doab. None of the axes found in West Bengal has exact parallels in the copper hoard assemblage in U.P. The thin-edged double-edged axes of Parihati are not cast object but were hammered into shape from copper sheets. On the other hand no antennae-hilted sword, spearhead, harpoon of anthropomorphic figures appears in the collection of copper hoard implements so far discovered from West Bengal. Double-edged axes from Parihati are typologically different from the usual shouldered axe variety and may be compared with axe types of Bhangrapir in Mayurbhanj, Orissa. The forging technique too seems to be the same. Proximity of the two places may be noted in this connection. The similarity between Banasuria stone celts and Bhaktabandh copper bar-celt, strengthens the theory that stone celts are pre-types of copper bar-celt of the plateau zone. (Bose, 1987: 42)

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Among the main tool kits of Bengal, the most prominent ones are shoulder-celt, bar-celt and ring. About shoulder-celt we have already discussed earlier. Now let us discuss about bar-celt and ring.

Bar-Celt

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A bar-celt consists of a nearly parallel-sided bar, the length of which measures several times its width. It has a rectangular section, flat bottom and convex upper side. The cutting edge, usually crescentic, is obtained by bevelling the upper side. Most of these features are simulations of the stone celts from the hilly tracts of southern Bihar, western West Bengal and northern Orissa. There is therefore, good reason to believe, according to Dr. Lal that the copper bar-celts were developed from their prototypes in stone in course of time, when metal began to replace stone. It has been suggested by Professor Piggott that the bar-celts may have developed from the narrow elongated celts discovered at Chanhu-Daro and Nal. But these latter specimens do not possess the characteristic features of bar-celt. Besides, in view of the more positive evidence regarding the evolution of the copper bar-celts from their stone prototypes as discussed above, the possibility of an Indus Valley origin of this type of implement may have to be given up. (Lal 1951: 35)

Rings

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These do not occur at the Indus Valley sites. Smith refers to ‘Irish gold ring-money and silver ring-money’, but it is doubtful if the Gangetic specimens of copper have any connection with them. (Lal, 1951: 35)

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The problem of identity of these copper hoard makers is yet to be solved. This problem is extremely vexed since so far no skeletal remains have been found associated with the authors of this hoard. Subhra Bose considered the theory that they were either the aboriginals of Ganga basin belonging to the Proto-Australoid group of people, or the ancestors of the modern Munda and Santal tribes inhabiting the hilly tracts of Bihar and Bengal.

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She further opined that this Copper Hoard Culture must have originated in a particular region and then expanded to other regions, gradually gaining maturity in technique and variety in typology. In Bengal we find the Copper Hoard Culture in its original and more simpler form. More complicated, refined and better finished implements like antennae-hilted swords, hooked spear-heads, harpoons, anthropomorphic from etc. of the Gaṅgā-Yamunā Doab are yet to be discovered in West Bengal, whereas Bengal Copper Hoard tools types have been discovered from Doab region and in certain parts of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. This indicates earlier origin of the Bengal Hoards and subsequent migration of the culture to the Gangetic Doab and other regions. (Bose, 1987: 42)

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Apart from these copper implements no other material evidence has been found which may indicate their way of life. The theory of B.B. Lal that the authors of copper hoard culture are the same group who used ochre coloured pottery (OCP) (yet to be confirmed with further discoveries) may be applicable to the Doab sites but not to the easterly sites of Bihar and Bengal. OCP has not been found with any of the copper hoards discovered in West Bengal. So the scanty idea that we form about their socio-economic life is on the basis of these copper implements alone. Shoulder celts were used as hoes for digging and ploughing, double-edged axes were used for felling trees and cutting wood, bar-celts for deep digging, leverage, breaking of stones etc. and circular discs for hunting. The pattern of their economic life was therefore very simple, based on rudimentary agriculture, jungle clearance and of course hunting. (Bose, 1987: 42-43)

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Yet, certain evidences certify a degree of sophistication reached by the authors of the chalcolithic culture people in Bengal. They probably knew the technique of strengthening copper with arsenic and silver. (Dutta, 1982) Some copper slags collected from Parihati (Lat. 22º 31' N long 86º 51' E), Dist. Midnapore in West Bengal and scraps from one of the ‘Parihati Hoard’ have been analysed. The analysis shows the presence of boron added as borax or Na₂B₄O₇, 10H₂O in the slag; evidently this served as flux for the extraction of copper. (Bose, 1987: 43)

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Chemical analysis showed that a sample of slag contained 65.1 per cent SiO₂, 10.3 per cent Al₂O₃, 9.2 per cent Fe₂O₃, 0.4 per cent TiO₂, 2.5 per cent MgO, 9.5 per cent CaO and 0.07 per cent MnO. Spectrographic determination by oxide arc technique revealed presence of Na, B and Cu in the range of 0.01-0.1 per cent and V in the range of 0.005 to 0.01 per cent. (Dutta, 1982) “The addition of borax in the process of extraction is indeed a superior form of technology. It may also be pointed out that at least in the Indian context no such report has been made, and naturally it may be said that the extraction technology in case of copper is quite superior in this region, compared to other regions of copper culture”. (Bose, 1987: 43) The analyses of slag showing presence of Mg, Ti, V etc. indicate that the typical ores in the Bengal-Bihar-Orissa border were used in smelting copper.