Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c20.s3.t2.6

v1.c20.s3.t2.6

Thus, the dating of sites cannot be done in terms of the appearances of PGW and NBPW which took place at different time in different sites. Tandon (1967-68) believes that at Alamgirpur iron appeared around 800 BC even though the PGW layer in the site has been C-14 dated as 1025 BC. Allahpur in the Meerut district has yielded a rich collection of iron consisting of spearheads, arrow-heads, blades, rods, pins and nails, along with slags of iron. The PGW layers in Śrāvastī, Kauśāmbī, Hastināpur, Bairat, Atrañjikhera etc. have yielded rich varities of iron objects. Tripathi (1976: 101-02) has noticed a gradual evolution of the iron tool-types in the PGW/NBPW layers over centuries. Hunting tools were the earliest types to be evolved: spearheads, arrowheads, points, socketed tangs, blades etc. Then agricultural tools such as sickle (Atrañjikhera) and axe (Noh) were evolved. Later, household objects such as knives or tongs (Atrañjikhera) and lastly building materials such as rods, pins and nails were manufactured and used.