Beginning of Iron Age Explained | Urbanization | InFocus | UPSC | Drishti IAS English

Before the discovery of iron, ancient Indian societies relied on stone and copper tools, limiting their agricultural productivity and technological advancement. But with the advent of iron, everything changed. Stronger ploughs revolutionized the farming, leading to surplus food production. Dense forests were cleared, allowing settlements to expand. The surplus gave rise to complex social structure, trade, eventually the powerful kingdoms like Magadh. For years, it was believed that India entered into the iron age around 2000 to 1500 BC. However, a recent study which was, you know, bring into the public discourse by the CM of Tamil Nadu, says that the iron was in use as early as 5300 years ago in India. This over a thousand years earlier than the previously thought notions about the iron age in India, potentially make South India one of the earliest center of iron technology in the world. Again, in the world and not only in India. My name is Lalit Soni and you are watching In Depth by Drishti IAS. In this video, we will dwell into the mysteries of iron age. So, let's begin. So, here we will be talking about the iron age. We will be seeing that how many excavation has been there in the past and what kind of notions or theory were there and what the recent studies talking about. So, let's begin. First, we will be starting with the news and then we will be moving to the key findings of the report. Then, moving further, Tamil Nadu's iron age discoveries. We will be seeing that what kind of discoveries has been in Tamil Nadu in the past and then we will be moving to the changing India's iron age timeline. How these discoveries will be changing the Indian iron age timeline. Then, impact on the global history. Then, moving further, we will be talking about the important sites on the map and then ultimately we will be concluding the session over here. In the end, there will be MCQ for your practice. So, let's start with the news over here. A report which is titled as Antiquity of Iron, Recent Radiometric Dates from the Tamil Nadu has provided insight into the origin of the iron age or iron uses in India. The study based on the excavation at Sivagalai and Adichalanur and other than that there are other sites like Kilnamandi and when we are talking about the Mailadamparai. So, basically these are some of the sites pronunciation may differ because these are local names over there. So, these are some of the sites which can be important for your examination. Now, on these sites there has been some excavation and on the basis of which it was revealed that we are having this shift in the timeline. Then, a report claims that the iron age began in Tamil Nadu soil or you can say on Tamil Nadu soil 5300 years ago. So, that is what the report has said or that is what has been the news. Now, before moving further, I would like to tell you that the TIS is offering you ISGS foundation course for flints as well as means at our new center that is Noida sector 15. Course is available both in English medium as well as in Hindi medium. For English medium admissions are open and for Hindi medium the batches are starting from 21st of February. So, you can directly visit the center at the given address or you can call us on this number that is 87501 87501. Now, moving further and let's see the key findings of the report. As I told you the new timeline has been discovered over here. The iron age in Tamil Nadu is now believed to have started nearly 5300 years ago significantly earlier than the previously thought timeline. So, that is nearly thousand years before or you can say thousand year earlier than the previously thought timeline. Comparison with the north India while northern India was in the copper age when we are talking about the Chalcolithic age or when we talk about the Indus valley civilization or Harappan civilization that is basically that particular age that is the copper age. Tamil Nadu may have entered into the iron age due to the scarcity of the copper in the region. Obviously, if copper was not there in Tamil Nadu so they will be finding another resource. So, it was seen over here that since copper was not there they have shifted to iron earlier than the northern India. Coming to the next one scientific analysis says that the findings are based on the accelerator mass spectrometry and the optically stimulated luminescence. These are some of the technologies which has been used in examination UPSC might give you the name of the technology and they can simply ask you that what they are used for. So, considering that I have you know took the liberty to put these names over here. Now, advanced iron technology evidence of iron smelting furnace and the manufacturing sites has been you know indicated in that particular report. So, basically what we are trying to see over here is that there are furnaces. So, basically they had the knowledge of metallurgy as well. So, that is what has been the findings of the report over here. Now, Tamil Nadu's iron age discoveries when we talk about the earlier explorations as well. So, over here previous evidences if you talk about in 2022 excavation as the Maila Damparai. This is a particular site which is there in the Kishnagiri district suggested that the iron age in Tamil Nadu began 4200 years ago. That is third millennium BC. Now, if you look at the recent discoveries that is saying that it has been in the fourth millennium BC. This place Tamil Nadu's iron age with respect to or you can say with other contemporary you can say ages which is there that is your copper and the bronze age elsewhere in India. So, what they were saying that at that point of time with this particular discovery we have realized that when other part of India is witnessing copper age or the bronze age Tamil Nadu was witnessing iron age. Coming to the recent studies over here the recent study titled with the antiquity of iron recent radiometric dates from the Tamil Nadu which we have already discussed further pushed back the iron age timeline by a thousand years. So, here like these are the sites Sivagalai, Adichanalur and Kilnanvandi and then Maila Damparai. So, these are the sites which can be important for your examination. So, these are four sites where studies has been performed and ultimately we have come up with this particular report. Finding suggests that the iron age in Tamil Nadu began nearly 3345 BCE and 2953 BCE that is the first quarter of the fourth millennium BCE. So, basically what they are saying is that the you can say the iron age has begun earlier than it was thought. Coming to the next part over here what are the changes which we are seeing in the timeline now. So, here you can see if this notion is true we will be you know seeing some kind of changes. So, let us see what was believed earlier. Again these are all theories. These are all when we talk about the excavation different results are there. So, that has been you can say put over here. The iron age in India was thought to have started around 2000 to 1500 BCE after the Indus valley civilization. So, at that point of time when Indus valley civilization was going for the chalcolithic age or the you can say copper age, copper and bronze age. At that point of time Tamil Nadu was witnessing the iron age. When we talk about in northern India when the iron age came. So, basically that is the time of the start of the Vedic era. So, that is there. Coming to the next one the oldest confirmed iron was from the 1800 to 1000 BCE central Ganga plain and the eastern Vindhyas. So, that is what the earlier thought process was the earlier timeline was. Now what is the new discovery said Tamil Nadu's evidence pushes this timeline back by more than thousand years. This is the earliest known production of the iron in the world not only in India but in the world we are saying that that is what we are saying that 5300 years ago we had knowledge about the iron in the Tamil Nadu. That means that in the world we are the first one to have that kind of knowledge. Experts believe Harappan sites might also contain iron suggesting the Indus valley and the Tamil Nadu civilization might have used the iron at the same time. What they are saying that that thing might be true that Harappa and they might have had the same time. But this is again just a theory we do not have such evidence as of now. So, that is there. Coming to the next part if we talk about the impact on the global history of iron. So, you can see until now historians believed that the Hittiti empire 1300 BCE Anatolia that is modern day Turkey was the first one to use iron. Till now that was the belief but now with this new study we can say that if that is true we can say that Tamil Nadu was the one overall in the world to have used iron in the past. So, Tamil Nadu's discovery shows that the India was using iron much earlier than the Anatolia. So, this is about the impact now important sites which we have already seen Sivagalai if we talk about. So, here you can see there was charcoal and the pot shatters which has been found over there and here this is the timeline which is given oldest evidence of the iron used globally. So, that is the place with where we have gone for the excavation. Coming to the next one Mayiladamparai here you can say iron was already being used in Tamil Nadu that is you can say the evidence which is saying Kilnamandi earliest sarcophagus stone coffin burial found in Tamil Nadu. Again this is something which can be asked in UPSC because this is a specific which is there sarcophagus or the stone coffins which has been used in Tamil Nadu earliest. Then Sivagalai burial urn containing a paddy sample from 1155 BC showing early farming practices over there. So, that is also there. Then coming to the next part that is iron and smelting furnaces which has been discovered over here. So, here Kodumannal is the place where we have found that and then Chettipalayam and Perungular that is basically the areas where they have shown the early technology of making iron. So, basically these are the two areas where you can see the evidence of metallurgy has been seen. Other than that these are the important sites which is there. On the map if you can see over here these are the sites which has been given Kodumannal, Mayiladamparai, Adichanallur, Sivagalai, Korkal and then Killadi. These are some of the you can say important sites which are there in Tamil Nadu. These sites they can simply ask a question mentioning the name of the sites and they can ask you where these are located. Other than that one more map which is there with respect to the sites like Sivagalai and Adichanallur. Here you can see that there is a river which is flowing through this particular area. The name of the river is Porunai or Tamiraparani. Tamiraparani river or the Porunai river this is in the vicinity of this area. So, that can be asked. Now it is your homework to go and see which this river is and where does it go and merge with the you can say which side of the ocean be it Bay of Bengal or the Arabian Sea. So, that is your homework. Now with that we will be moving to the last part that is a practice question. Before that we have a conclusion if the report is fine or the report is having some you know concrete evidences. So, here you can say the report redefines the India's iron age timeline and emphasizes the Tamil Nadu's pivotal road. It increases a fresh look at the South Indian prehistory and the early technological advancements. Further research is needed to clarify the origin and the spread of the iron metallurgy in the subcontinent. Basically what they are saying is that now with this new idea this new thought and new claims we have to go for the further research in that particular arena so that we can go and unveil the mystery of the iron age in India. Now we can go to the last part that is your MCQ. What was a key technological feature found in Kodumanal, Chettipalayam and the Perungulur? Okay bricks clean of the pottery making then you can see the large granaries for rice storage iron smelting furnaces and then Buddhist monasteries. Okay so you can attempt this question and answer to me in the comment box. With that I would like to take your leave. If you have not subscribed the channel please subscribe it. Have a nice day. Thank you. 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