Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c20.s1.42

v1.c20.s1.42

The first phase might have started in Anatolia, and yet in the bronze iron of Afghanistan (2300 BC) we have an example of early iron-awareness in the Harappan India. The second phase might have been indigenously developed in India in three nuclear zones viz., Gaṅgā-Yamunā doab, Karnataka Megalithic Culture and Bengal-Bihar area. Early iron in these areas, as we will record, are dated 1200-1000 BC. We do not have many dates outside India, earlier than the above, for iron deliberately carburised. We have mentioned (Maddin, 1977 b) ‘the earliest known laminated object’: an Egyptian knife dated 900-800 BC, which came centuries after Komaranhalli spear and Tadakanhalli axe in India clearly demonstrating lamination techniques in iron artefacts. (Agrawal, O.P. et al., 1990)