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News: Recent dating of burial urn samples from Sivagalai in Tamil Nadu’s Tuticorin district suggests that the Iron Age may have begun there around 3,345 BCE, at least 1,000 years earlier than previously believed.
Source- The Indian Express
About Iron Age
Iron Age Overview:
A transformative period in history when iron replaced stone and bronze as the primary material for crafting tools and weapons.
Marked by significant advancements in metallurgy and technology, leading to profound societal and economic changes.
Timeframe:
The Iron Age is generally considered to have begun around 1200 BCE globally.
However, recent findings in Tamil Nadu suggest the Iron Age in India began as early as 3,345 BCE, predating the Hittite Empire’s use of iron (around 1380 BCE)
Notable Sites in India:
Sivagalai (Tamil Nadu): This site holds the earliest evidence of iron use in India, dating back to 3,345 BCE.
Mayiladumparai (Tamil Nadu): Evidence of iron tools from around 2,172 BCE.
Brahmagiri (Karnataka): Iron Age artifacts found here date to about 2,140 BCE.
Gachibowli (Telangana): Iron Age evidence from around 2,200 BCE.
Phases of the Iron Age in India:
1. Early Iron Age (1500 BCE – 1000 BCE)
Introduction of Iron Tools: Iron tools began to be used in agriculture and hunting.
Overlap with the Late Vedic Period: This phase coincided with the late Vedic period, during which texts like the Atharvaveda were composed.
Notable Sites:
Atranjikhera (Uttar Pradesh)
Malhar (Chhattisgarh)
Hallur (Karnataka)
2. Middle Iron Age (1000 BCE – 600 BCE)
Expansion of Iron Technology: Iron technology expanded, leading to greater use of iron tools and weapons.
Urbanization: The growth of urban centers and the rise of fortified settlements.
Painted Grey Ware (PGW) Culture: The PGW culture emerged in the Ganga-Yamuna plains.
Rise of Janapadas: Early states or political entities, known as Janapadas, began to form.
Key Sites:
Kausambi (Uttar Pradesh)
Atranjikhera (Uttar Pradesh)
3. Late Iron Age (600 BCE – 200 BCE)
Formation of Mahajanapadas: The rise of larger political entities known as Mahajanapadas.
Mauryan Empire: The establishment and expansion of the Mauryan Empire, marking the height of political unity and power.
Religious Growth: The spread of Buddhism and Jainism, alongside Ashoka’s edicts, promoting governance based on ethical principles.
Major Urban Centers:
Pataliputra (Patna)
Ujjain
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