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Context:

Recently a new study ‘Antiquity of Iron: Recent Radiometric Dates from Tamil Nadu’, authored by K Rajan and R Sivanantham says the Iron Age began hundreds of years earlier – in Tamil Nadu.

Details

Report "Antiquity Iron: Recent radiometric data from Tamil Nadu" provides evidence that there was an iron technology in Tamil Nadu already in 3345 BCE.
The findings are supported by the analysis of the mass spectrometry of the accelerator (AMS) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSP).

About the Iron Age

Aspect	Details
Iron Age Overview	A transformative period when iron replaced stone and bronze for tools and weapons, leading to significant advances in metallurgy and technology, impacting social and economic structures.
Time Frame	Generally considered to begin around 1200 BCE globally; recent findings in Tamil Nadu suggest it began around 3345 BCE in India.
Notable Sites in India	Sivagalai (Tamil Nadu): Earliest evidence of iron use, around 3345 BCE. Mayiladumparai (Tamil Nadu): Iron tools from around 2172 BCE. Brahmagiri (Karnataka): Iron artefacts from 2140 BCE. Gachibowli (Telangana): Evidence from circa 2200 BCE.
Iron Ages in India
1. Early Iron Age (1500 BCE - 1000 BCE)	Introduction of Iron Tools: Used in agriculture and hunting. Overlapping with Late Vedic Period: Texts like the Atharvaveda were composed.
Sites	Atranjikhera (Uttar Pradesh) Malhar (Chhattisgarh) Hallur (Karnataka)
2. 2nd Central Iron Age (1000 BCE - 600 BCE)	Iron Technology Expansion: More use of iron tools and weapons. Urbanization: Growth of urban centers and fortified settlements. Painted Gray Ware (PGW) Culture: Emergence in Ganga-Yamuna Plains. Janatas: Early states or political entities.
Sites	Kausambi (Uttar Pradesh) Atranjikhera (Uttar Pradesh)
3. Late Iron Age (600 BCE - 200 BCE)	Mahajanapads: Rise of larger political entities. Mauryan Empire: Expansion of Mauryan rule indicating political unity and power. Religious Growth: Spread of Buddhism and Jainism. Ashoka’s Edicts: Governance based on ethical principles.
Major Urban Centers	Pataliputra (Patna) Ujjain

Recent findings

Category	Description
Pioneering Study	Suggests Iron Age in Tamil Nadu began as early as 3345 BC, shifting the timeline of iron use in the region by more than a millennium, questioning previous historical beliefs.
Authors of Report	Rajan (Pondicherry University) and R Sivanantham (Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology)
Iron Age in India	Transformation period marked by wide use of iron, strengthening agriculture, warfare, and social structures.
Previously Believed Timeline	Iron Age in India was believed to begin between 1500 and 2000 BC.
Revised Timeline	Recent discoveries in Tamil Nadu suggest the Iron Age began around 3345 BC.
Technological Advancement	Significant jump in metallurgy, with advanced furnaces capable of reaching 1534°C required for iron melting, following copper and bronze ages.
Archaeological Evidence	Northern India: Early iron use associated with Painted Gray Ware (PGW) cultures (e.g., Hastinapur, Kausambi, Ujjain). Central India and Deccan: Iron in Black and Red Ware (BRW) cultures (e.g., Nagda, Eran, Prakash). Southern India: Iron artifacts during the overlap of the Neolithic and Megalithic phases.
Urbanization and Agriculture	Iron tools (axes, plows) contributed to forest expansion and agricultural growth, aiding the second urbanization in the Ganga Valley (800–500 BC).
Social and Economic Impact	Facilitated agricultural growth, urbanization, and socio-economic stratification. Emergence of chiefs, states, and business networks, leading to integration in the Mauryan Empire.
Overall Impact	The Iron Age laid the foundation for agrarian and urban changes, influencing subsequent socio-political development in India.

Importance of the study

Timeline of the Iron Age in India revised It was previously thought to have appeared between 1500 and 2000 BCE, the Iron Age in India has been pushed back by new data from Tamil Nadu.
Radiometric dating of a paddy sample from a funerary urn at Sivagalai places the use of iron as late as 3345 BCE, which is the oldest recorded evidence of iron technology in the world.
Global implications: Globally, the Iron Age is attributed to the Hittite Empire (1300 BC), but Tamil Nadu challenges this timeline.
A turning point in Indian archaeology: These finds represent a turning point in Indian archaeology, rewriting the history of the Iron Age and establishing Tamil Nadu as a key player in global metallurgical innovation.

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Source:

Indian Express

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q.Discuss the significance of the Iron Age in the context of technological, social, and political transformations in ancient India. Highlight key archaeological sites and their contributions to our understanding of this period. (150 words)