Chalcolithic Age in India: Notable Sites, Cultures, and Artifacts [3000 BCE-1500 BCE]

Major Chalcolithic Sites in India at a Glance

Site Name	Location	Key Features
Inamgaon	Maharashtra (Pune District)	Largest Chalcolithic settlement in India; evidence of houses, burials, and pottery.
Daimabad	Maharashtra (Ahmednagar District)	Famous for bronze artefacts, large settlements with houses and silos. A silo is a structure used to store materials in bulk.
Jorwe	Maharashtra (Ahmednagar District)	Pottery known as Jorwe Ware; evidence of agriculture and animal husbandry.
Navdatoli	Madhya Pradesh (Khargone District)	Early farming settlement; stone tools, pottery, and burials.
Kayatha	Madhya Pradesh (Ujjain District)	Known for distinctive Kayatha Ware; evidence of copper tools and early farming.
Malwa	Madhya Pradesh (Ujjain District)	Famous for bronze artefacts, large settlements with houses and silos.
Ahar (Banas Culture)	Rajasthan (Udaipur District)	Known for black and red ware pottery, stone tools, and metalwork.
Gilund	Rajasthan (Rajsamand District)	Evidence of agriculture, pottery, and copper tools; extensive settlement.
Balathal	Rajasthan (Udaipur District)	Key centre of the Malwa culture; pottery, copper tools, and early urban planning.
Prabhas Patan	Gujarat (Saurashtra)	Evidence of early settlement; pottery and stone tools.
Rangpur	Gujarat (Saurashtra)	Known for Harappan and post-Harappan Chalcolithic culture; pottery and copper tools.
Ganeshwar	Rajasthan (Sikar District)	Copper metallurgy; evidence of copper mining and tool-making.
Sanganakallu	Karnataka (Bellary District)	Evidence of early farming and copper tools; rock art and pottery.

Key Facts about the Chalcolithic Period in India

• Definition: The Chalcolithic period is an archaeological period characterized by the utilization of metal (especially smelted copper) and stone to manufacture weapons and other equipment.
• Division of the Chalcolithic Period:
  • Earlier scholars considered the “Chalcolithic Period” as a transitional period between the Neolithic and the Bronze Age but Modern researchers consider the period as a part of the Neolithic Age.
  • Based on material culture and technologies in use, the Chalcolithic of South Asia has been subdivided into Early, Mature, and Late phases.
  • The timeline of the Chalcolithic Period in India varies slightly by region, but it generally spans from around 3000 BCE to 1500 BCE. Here is a more detailed breakdown:
• Early Chalcolithic Period (c. 3000 BCE – 2000 BCE):
  • This phase marks the beginning of the use of copper, with communities still heavily reliant on stone tools.
  • Early Chalcolithic settlements were often located near rivers and fertile plains, which supported agricultural practices.
  • Notable sites from this period include Ahar and Gilund in Rajasthan.
• Middle Chalcolithic Period (c. 2000 BCE – 1500 BCE):
  • During this phase, the use of copper tools became more widespread, and there was a noticeable advancement in metalworking techniques.
  • Settlements grew larger, and there was evidence of increased trade and interaction between different Chalcolithic cultures.
  • Significant sites include Inamgaon and Jorwe in Maharashtra, and Navdatoli in Madhya Pradesh.
• Late Chalcolithic Period (c. 1500 BCE – 1000 BCE):
  • This phase witnessed the peak of Chalcolithic cultural development, with more sophisticated pottery, complex metalwork, and social structures.
  • The period also saw the beginning of the transition to the Bronze Age, with the gradual introduction of bronze tools.
  • Important sites from this period include Daimabad in Maharashtra, known for its bronze artefacts, and Kayatha in Madhya Pradesh.
• Settlements: Chalcolithic settlements were typically located near river valleys or fertile plains.

Characteristics of Chalcolithic Cultures in India

• Chalcolithic cultures in India: Notable Chalcolithic cultures in India include the Indus Valley civilization, the Ahar-Banas culture, the Kayatha Culture, the Malwa culture, and the Jorwe culture, among others. These cultures were predominantly rural.
• Post-Harappan and Contemporaneous Cultures: While most of these cultures emerged after the Harappan civilization, some, like Kayatha Culture, were contemporary to Harappa.
• Painted Pottery: A distinctive characteristic of these cultures is their painted pottery, usually featuring black-on-red designs.
• livelihood: The inhabitants relied on agriculture, livestock rearing, hunting, and fishing for their livelihood.
• Use of Copper: Due to the scarcity of copper, its use was limited.
• Source of Copper: Chalcolithic people may have sourced their raw material of copper from the Khetri Copper Belt of Rajasthan, which is the richest source of copper in South Asia even today. Other locally available chalcopyrite nodules may also have been exploited for copper.
• Metal Processing Techniques:
  • Chalcolithic people used casting in mould or cold hammer techniques to make various artefacts, including tools and ornaments.
  • Copper objects found in Kayatha were made by the use of casting technology, whereas those found at all other Chalcolithic sites were made by cold hammering technique.
• Decline: Interestingly, by the end of the 2nd millennium BC, most of these settlements were mysteriously abandoned.

Several tribal communities in Central India are engaged in the mining and smelting of copper ore and the manufacture of objects by using primitive techniques, which are believed to be similar to the ones used during the Chalcolithic period.

Chalcolithic Cultures in India

Ahar-Banas Culture (3000 to 1500 BCE)

• The Ahar-Banas culture is associated with several Chalcolithic sites in Rajasthan. Major excavated sites are Ahar and Balathal in the Udaipur district, Gilund in the Rajsamanad district, and Ojiyana in the Bhilwara district of Rajasthan.
• All the sites are located on the bank of Banas River and its tributaries in southeastern Rajasthan.

Kayatha Culture (2000 to 1800 BC)

• This Chalcolithic culture was named after the type site Kayatha, located in Ujjain district, Madhya Pradesh. In archaeology, a ‘type site’ is the site used to define a particular archaeological culture, which is often named after it.
• The people lived in small huts with well-rammed floors.
• Key Findings:
  • convex-sided jars,
  • carinated dishes (some pots were decorated with linear designs in black pigment)’
  • copper axes cast in moulds,
  • evidence of mass production of chalcedony blades (indicates a specialized blade industry),
  • bead necklaces
• Crops grown: Barley and wheat.
• Animals: domesticated animals included cattle and sheep/goats, horse remains have been found from the Chalcolithic level at Kayatha.

Malwa Culture (1900 –  1400 BCE)

• The Malwa Culture is named after the region where its remains were first discovered.
• Notable Sites with [key findings]:
  • Daimabad: Large Fire alter, Two armed Chulah
  • Inamgaon: carbonized grains of wheat, barley, jawar, rice, legumes, oilseeds and fruits,
  • Nagda,
  • Maheshwar,
  • Eran,
  • Navdatoli: Both round and rectangular huts were found. Round huts were found in clusters of two, three or four. Rectangular huts were quite spacious with thick mud walls and wooden posts supporting the roof. Storage jars and square pots have been found inside this house.

Jorwe Culture (1400-1000 BCE)

• Overview of Jorwe Culture: The Jorwe culture is the most important Chalcolithic culture of the Maharashtra region of western India, covering almost the entire state of Maharashtra, except the coastal region in the west and Vidarbha in the northeast.

• Geographical Extent of Jorwe Culture: Jorwe culture spread throughout almost the entire state of Maharashtra, except the coastal strip to the west and the Vidarbha region to the northeast.
• Discovery: The culture was discovered in 1950-51.
• It is named after the village of Jorwe in the Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra, where the first evidence of this culture was discovered. Jorwe is located on the bank of the Pravara River, a tributary of the Godavari River.
• Notable Sites:
  • Prakash in the Tapi valley,
  • Daimabad in the Pravara- Godavari valley,
  • Inamgaon in the Bhima Valley.
• Agriculture:
  • The agriculture in Jorwe culture was primarily based on dry farming.
  • Stock-raising and hunting-fishing served as ancillary activities.
  • Farmers cultivated a variety of crops and practised crop rotation.
  • Principal crops included barley, wheat, jowar, rice, ragi, green pea, grass pea, lentil, and green and black gram.
• Housing Patterns: Early Jorwe houses were rectangular, while the Late Jorwe houses were circular.

• Material Culture and Technology:
  • Stone blade/flake tools were commonly used throughout all levels of the Jorwe culture.
  • Pottery technology: painted, wheel-made, and well-fired pottery. Metal technology was still in its early stages and not very developed.
  • Key Findings:
    • black-and-red painted pottery,
    • spouted jar,
    • carinated bowl.

• Burial Practices:
  • One of the most distinctive features of the Jorwe culture was how they disposed of the dead.
  • Many child burials were found in urns laid in pits.
  • For adult burials, the portion below the ankles was often chopped off.
  • A unique four-legged urn burial with an adult skeleton inside was found at Inamgaon.

• End of Jorwe Settlements: By the end of the second millennium BCE, many Jorwe settlements were abandoned due to climatic deterioration

Chalcolithic Age UPSC PSC MCQs

Which one of the following periods is also known as the Chalcolithic age? [BPSC(Pre) 2000]
(a) Old Stone Age
(b) New Stone Age
(c) Copper age
(d) Iron age
Correct Answer: (c) Copper age

In the Chalcolithic period, the people of Maharashtra buried their dead under the floor of their houses in the following orientation: [UPPSC 1997]
(a) North to South position
(b) South to North position
(c) South to North position
(d) West to East position
Correct Answer: (a) North to South position

In which State is Navdatoli located? [UPPSC (Mains) 2009]
(a) Gujarat
(b) Maharashtra
(c) Chhattisgarh
(d) Madhya Pradesh
Correct Answer: (d) Madhya Pradesh

The ochre-coloured pottery was christened in: [UPPSC (Mains) 2006]
(a) Hastinapur
(b) Ahichatra
(c) Nuh
(d) Red Fort
Correct Answer: (a) Hastinapur

Which among the following cultures were the first to paint their pottery? [CDS 2012]
(a) Mesolithic
(b) Chalcolithic
(c) Neolithic
(d) Iron age
Correct Answer: (b) Chalcolithic

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