Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c20.s1.39

v1.c20.s1.39

In this connection, we may refer to the bronze age iron from Afghanistan. (Shaffer, 1984b) Decorative iron ore nodules found at Said Qala Tepe and decorative iron balls and buttons, found at Said Qala Tepe and nearby Mundigak IV, have been dated to be around 2300-1900 BC. These early Harappan iron balls and buttons may be compared to the decorative pieces from the Mediterranean area dated third millennium BC, and indicate that wrought iron was not completely unknown in the ancient India of the Harappan era. However, these soft decorative materials could not replace bronze, and the real breakthrough or the advent of harder carburized iron took place in India, as in the rest of the world, only around 1200 BC.