The closest use of iron found in India? Tamil Nadu, excavations, spark discussion

For more than 20 years, archaeologists in the southern state of Tamil Nadu in India were discovering evidence of the old past in the region.

Their excavations revealed early textual programs Re -writing the timelines for literacyhiring Maritime trade routes Connecting India to the world and revealing Advanced urban settlements – Enhancing the role of the state as a cradle of early civilization and global trade.

They have now discovered something bigger – evidence of what might be the oldest iron and use of iron. Türkiye is present at the present time one of the first known areas where iron was extracted and extracted and equipped with a large scale around the thirteenth century BC.

Archaeologists have discovered iron things in six sites in Tamil Nadu, dating back to 2953-3345 BC, or between 5,000 to 5400 years. This indicates that the process of extraction, melting, forgery and iron formation to create tools, weapons and other things may have evolved independently in the Indian subcontinent.

“The discovery is so important that it will take some time before its effects flood,” says Dilip Kumar Charabarte, a professor of antiquities in South Asia at Cambridge University.

The latest results by Adishunalor, Sevagalay, Miladaqarai, Keleamandi, Mangado and Thielonganor sites have topped the headlines of local newspapers such as “Has the Iron Age began in Tamil Nadu?” The age is the period when societies began to use and produce iron on a large scale, and to make tools, weapons and infrastructure.

Part R Chauhan, Professor of Archeology at the Indian Institute for Science and Research (ISSER), urges caution before extracting conclusions. He believes that iron technology has probably appeared “independently in multiple areas.”

Also, “early evidence is still not certain because many regions of the world have not been properly discussed or that archaeological evidence is known but has not been dated properly.”

“If Tamil Nadu’s discovery is more discovered through a strict academic study,” Zhhan says is that he will occupy the first rank among the first records in the world. “Isser’s archaeologist in Isser adds that the discovery” suggests parallel developments (in iron production) across different parts of the world. “

Early iron came in two forms – the meteorology and melting. Iron, extracted from raw, represents the real start of iron technology with huge production. The oldest well -known artifact is made of iron – nine tubular grains – meteorological iron, which come from fallen meteorites.

Determination of iron -bearing rocks is the first challenge. Once located, these materials should be melted in the oven at very high temperatures to extract the metal. Without this process, raw iron remains closed inside the rock. After extracting, the skilled iron is formed in tools and tools, which represents a decisive step in early iron works.

Most of the sites in Tamil Nadu, where the iron is found, the old housing areas near the villages of today. Archaeologists K Rajan and R Sivanantham say that the excavators have so far explored part of more than 3000 of the specified Iron Age tombs that contain a coffin (stone coffin) and a wealth of iron artifacts. In this process, they discovered marriage devices, spears, knives, arrow heads, hybrids, hubs and swords made of iron.

In the burial that was dug in one location, more than 85 iron creatures – knives, arrow head, rings, chisels, axes and swords – were found inside and outside the burial tractor. More than 20 main samples were dated to five laboratories around the world, confirming ancient times.

Some discoveries are particularly amazing.

The historian Osmund Boperachchi from the French National Center for Scientific Research, based in Paris, highlights a major discovery-an iron sword from the burial site, made of very high carbon steel and dates back to the thirteenth century to the fifteenth BC.

This advanced steel, which is the direct development of iron metal science, requires advanced knowledge and high heat accuracy.

“We know that the first signs of real steel production dates back to the thirteenth century BC in the current Türkiye. Radiological measurement dates “It seems that the tamil samples are early.

Also, at a location called Kodumanal, the excavators found an oven, referring to an advanced iron -making community.

The oven area stood with white staining, probably from the intense heat. Near -placed, the excavators found iron slag – some fused on the oven wall – hinting at advanced metal work techniques. It is clear that people on the site not only used iron, but also they use it and treat it.

Certainly fossils Nadu are not the first in India that reveals iron. At least 27 sites in eight states revealed Evidence for the use of early ironSome dating returns to 4200 years. Rajan’s archaeologist, who co -authored a paper on this topic, told me that the latest digging of Tamil Nadu pushes to ancient times of Indian iron for another 400 years, “the archaeologist, who participated in writing a paper on this topic told me.

Ms. Roy says: “The Iron Age is a technological transformation, and not a single event of one origin – it develops in multiple places independently,” noting the previous discoveries in the east, west and north of India.

“What is clear now is that original iron technology has evolved early on the Indian subcontinent.”

Experts say that the excavations in Tamil Nadu are important and can reshape our understanding of the Iron Age and Iron Sol partisan in the Indian subcontinent. Also, “What these fossils are witnessing is the presence of a clearly developed pattern of civilization,” Nermalla Lakshman, author of the Tamil Book – notes a picture of a society.

However, archaeologists warn that there is still a lack of excavations needed to collect new data from all over India. As an expert said, “Indian archeology in the silent situation outside Tamil Nadu.”

“This is just a starting point.”

“We need to delve into the origins of iron technology – these results are the beginning, not the conclusion. The key is to use this as a loan, follow the process backward and location that the iron production really began.”