Did Iron Age 'begin' in India? Tamil Nadu dig sparks debate

In the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, archaeologists have been working for over two decades to uncover the secrets of the region's ancient history. Their excavations have revealed early scripts, mapped connections that link India to the rest of the world, and highlighted Tamil Nadu's significant role as a center of early civilization and global trade. Recently, they made a groundbreaking discovery that could change our understanding of the Iron Age: evidence suggesting that the making and use of iron in Tamil Nadu might date back to a time even earlier than previously thought. Archaeologists have found iron artifacts at six different sites in Tamil Nadu, with dates ranging from 2,953 to 3,345 BCE, which means these objects are between 5,000 and 5,400 years old. This discovery implies that the techniques for extracting, smelting, and forging iron to create tools and weapons may have developed independently in the Indian subcontinent. Dilip Kumar Chakrabarti, a professor of South Asian archaeology at Cambridge University, emphasized the importance of this finding, stating that it will take time for its implications to be fully understood. The recent discoveries from sites like Adichchanallur, Sivagalai, Mayiladumparai, Kilnamandi, Mangadu, and Thelunganur have sparked local headlines asking, 'Did the Iron Age Begin in Tamil Nadu? ' The Iron Age is a significant period when societies began to widely use and produce iron for tools, weapons, and infrastructure. However, Parth R Chauhan, a professor of archaeology at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, cautioned against jumping to conclusions. He believes that iron technology likely emerged independently in multiple regions around the world. He also pointed out that the earliest evidence remains uncertain, as many areas have not been thoroughly researched or their archaeological evidence has not been properly dated. If the findings in Tamil Nadu are validated through rigorous academic study, they could rank among the earliest records of iron use globally. Oishi Roy, another archaeologist at ISSER, added that this discovery suggests parallel developments in iron production across different parts of the world. The early forms of iron included meteoritic iron, which comes from meteorites, and smelted iron, which is produced by heating iron ore in a furnace. The earliest known iron artifacts were made from meteoritic iron. The first challenge for ironworkers is to identify iron-bearing rocks. Once these ores are located, they must be smelted at extremely high temperatures to extract the metal. Without this process, raw iron remains trapped within the rock. After extraction, skilled ironsmiths shape the metal into tools and implements, marking a crucial step in early ironworking. Most of the sites in Tamil Nadu where iron has been found are ancient habitation areas near present-day villages. Archaeologists K Rajan and R Sivanantham noted that excavators have only explored a small fraction of over 3,000 identified Iron Age graves, which contain stone coffins and a wealth of iron artifacts. During their excavations, they uncovered hoe-spades, spears, knives, arrowheads, chisels, axes, and swords made of iron. At one burial site, over 85 iron objects, including knives, arrowheads, rings, chisels, axes, and swords, were found both inside and outside burial urns. More than 20 key samples were robustly dated in five laboratories worldwide, confirming their ancient origins. Some of the discoveries are particularly striking. Historian Osmund Bopearachchi from the French National Centre for Scientific Research highlighted a significant find: an iron sword from a burial site made of ultra-high-carbon steel, dating back to the 13th to 15th Century BC. This advanced steel, a direct evolution of Iron Age metallurgy, required sophisticated knowledge and precise high-temperature processes. Ms. Roy added that the early steel found in Tamil Nadu indicates that the people there were not just users of iron but were also skilled iron makers, showcasing a technologically advanced community that evolved over time.