Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c17.s3.2

v1.c17.s3.2

Pāṇḍu Rājār Dhibi excavation on the valley of the Ajay river shows several stages of inhabitation, Period I being agro-rural and neolithic-chalcolithic, and belonging to the middle of the second millennium BC. (Dasgupta, 1964) Microlithic industry flourished producing hand-axe of quartzite having rounded pebble-butt with dots of ochre-cloured *kaṅkar*. Gradually, black and red ware gave rise to lustrous red ware bearing a painted design in black. Period II witnessed flourishing chalcolithic civilisation and yielded beautiful channel-spouted bowls of black and red ware, beads, semi-precious stones, and objects of copper, such as copper bangles — some spiral ones, ornaments, eye-pencils, fish-hook etc. Also found were milk-white shell beads, microlithic flake of green jasper etc. During this period around eleventh century BC, there was an industry of bone tools.