The Chalcolithic Culture

jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/the-chalcolithic-culture-1430564033-1

Overview
The first metal to be used at the end of the Neolithic period was copper which was used in addition to stone by
several cultures. The cultures to use stone and copper implements were known as Chalcolithic which means stonecopper phase. The main occupations of the phase were hunting, fishing, and farming.
Key points related to Chalcolithic Age are as following:
The first metal age of India is called Chalcolithic Age which saw the use of copper along with stone. It is also
called Stone-Copper age
The Chalcolithic culture mainly had farming communities and they existed between 2000 BC and 700 BC
The major crops which were cultivated were barley, wheat, lentil, bajra, jowar, ragi millets, green pea, and
green and black grams
The major animals domesticated were cows, goats, buffaloes, sheep, and pigs
Traces of rice cultivation are also found
Cotton was produced in black cotton soil
Metals such as copper and its alloys were used to make knives, axes, fishing hooks, chisels, pins, and rods
The people of Chalcolithic Age were expert coppersmiths, ivory carvers, lime makers, and terracotta artisans
Mostly mud made houses with single room are found. For influential people large mud houses with 5 rooms,
4 rectangular and 1 circular in centre of the settlement are found
Black-and-Red pottery along with OCP (Ochre-Coloured-Pottery) was used during this phase
People buried the dead in the floors of their houses in the north-south direction along with pots and copper
objects. Affluent people were buried with pots and jewellery
Jorwe culture existed from 1400 BC to 700 BC. Almost 200 sites are discovered. Its settlements were found
in Vidharbha, coastal region of Konkan, in Jorwe, Navasa and Daimabad at Ahemdabad, Chandoli,
Soangaon and Inamgaon at Pune, and Prakash and Nasik at Maharashtra
Ahar culture is placed in between 2100 BC and 1500 BC. Ahar culture lay on dry zone of Banas River valley
in Rajasthan. People practiced smelting and metallurgy. Flat axe (Jorwe and Chandoli), copper chisel
(Chandoli) bangles, sheets made up of copper, and bronze are found
Chalcolithic people could not make full use of domestic animals
They did not do much of cultivation as they lived in areas where black cotton soil was found
It was not a healthy period. There are traces of a large number of children being buried which indicate lack of
nutrition and outbreak of epidemics
People had no knowledge of mixing two metals hence couldnt use bronze
People were not aware of the art of writing
In India, the Chalcolithic Age was mainly found in South-Eastern Rajasthan, Western part of Madhya
Pradesh and Maharashtra and in South and East India
In Detail

1/6

The first metal age of India is called Chalcolithic Age which saw the use of copper along with stone. It was also
called Stone-Copper Age. Along with the use of copper and stone these people also used low grade bronze to make
tools and weapons.
Chronology
Chronologically, there are several settlements. Some are Pre-Harappan or early Harappan (Kalibangan in Rajasthan
and Bhanawali in Haryana) and some are Harappan and Post-Harappan. The Chalcolithic culture mainly had
farming communities and they existed between 2000 BC and 700 BC. In India it was mainly found in South-Eastern
Rajasthan, Western part of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, and in South and East India.
Characteristics
1. Agriculture and Animals
People of Chalcolithic Age survived on hunting, fishing, and farming
Hunting was one of the important occupations
Animals such as sheep, buffalo, goat, cattle, and pig were reared and killed for food
Remains of camels are also found. People ate beef but no traces of eating pork are found
People of Navdatoli grew ber and linseed
Cotton was produced in black cotton soil
Traces of rice cultivation are also found. This shows that their food included fish and rice. Eastern India
produced rice and Western India produced barley
The major crops cultivated were barley and wheat, lentil, bajra, jowar, ragi millets, green pea, green and black
gram
2. Tools and Weapons
Metals such as copper and its alloys were used to make knives, axes, fishing hooks, chisels, pins, and rods
3. Houses
Use of bricks was extensive during the Chalcolithic people of Harappa but there are no traces of burnt
(baked) bricks
The planning of the houses was simple which was either rectangular or circular
The walls of houses were made from mud and plastered with cow dung and lime
The houses mostly had only one room, but sometimes multi-roomed houses were also seen
For influential people, large mud houses with 5 rooms, 4 rectangular and 1 circular in centre of the settlement
are found
In Inamgaon, ovens and circular pit houses are found
4. Pottery
Different types of potteries were used by the people of the Chalcolithic phase. The Black-and-Red pottery among
them was quite common. The Ochre-Coloured Pottery(OCP) was also in use.
5. Burials

2/6

People buried the dead in the floors of their houses in the North-South direction along with pots and copper
objects
In Navas, children were buried with necklaces around their necks or with pottery of copper. These children
were mainly from affluent families
In Kayatha region; bodies were found with 29 bangles and 2 unique axes
6. Art and Craft
The specialty of the Chalcolithic culture was wheel made pottery mostly of red and orange colour
Pottery was painted in linear designs, mainly in black pigment and was decorated with different shapes
Designs of flowers, vegetation, animals, and birds were used
The Black-and-Red pottery came into existence for the first time
People from Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Bihar produced channel-spouted pots, dish-on-stands, and
bowls-on-stand
The people of Chalcolithic Age were expert coppersmiths, ivory carvers, lime makers, and terracotta artisans
Ornaments were made from semiprecious stones and beads such as agate, jasper, chalcedony, and
carnelian were used
People had knowledge of spinning and weaving. Flax, cotton, and silk thread is found from sites in
Maharashtra
7.

Jowre Culture
Jorwe culture existed from 1400 BC to 700 BC
Its settlements were found in Vidharbha and coastal region of Konkan, in Jorwe, Navasa and Daimabad at
Ahemdabad, Chandoli, Soangaon and Inamgaon at Pune, and Prakash and Nasik at Maharashtra
The Maharashtra settlement was near semi-arid area of brown black soil with ber and babul vegetation
People used tiny weapons and tools such as blade and bladelets made of stone. Use of stone axes was also
seen
The settlement was near hills and rivers and several objects made of copper have been found from different
sites
People lived in mud houses
Almost 200 sites are discovered out of which Daimabad near Godavari Valley is the largest (20 hectare and
accommodated about 4000 people). A large quantity of bronze material is found from here
A hierarchical distribution has been observed in the Jorwe culture. There was a remarkable difference in the
sizes of settlements. One as large as 25 hectares and one as small as 5 hectares are seen. This suggested
social distinction

8. Ahar Culture
Ahar culture is placed between 2100 BC and 1500 BC
The earlier name of Ahar is Tambavati or the place possessing copper
The settlement was found in Ahar and Giliund in South Eastern Rajasthan
Ahar culture lay on dry zone of Banas River valley in Rajasthan
The use of microlithic tools such as blades and stone axes was altogether missing

3/6

Flat axe (Jowre and Chandoli), copper chisel (Chandoli) bangles, sheets made of copper and bronze are
found
People practiced smelting and metallurgy
People lived in stone houses
9. Kayatha Culture: It existed from 2000 BC to 1880 BC. It shows Post-Harappan influence.
10. Malwa Culture: It existed from 1700 BC to 1200 BC. It is found in Malwa, Kayatha and Eran in Maharashtra,
and Central and Western India.
Importance of Chalcolithic Phase
Chalcolithic area expanded throughout the country except for alluvial region and thick forests
People were settled mostly near hills and rivers
People used microlithic tools of stone and copper
They knew the art of smelting
They used painted pottery for the first time. Mostly all used black and red, wheel turned pots. These pots
were used for cooking, storing, drinking, and eating. Use of lota and thali is seen
At some places where Neolithic phase transferred to Chalcolithic, it was called Neolithic-Chalcolithic
Chalcolithic people were colonizers
In Peninsular India there was their large village and a large amount of cereal cultivation is known/seen
They grew wheat, barley, lentils, and rice
Fish and rice were the important foods
People from Kayatha, Inamgaion, and Eran were well-off while the people from Chirand and Pandi Rajar
Dhibi were poor
In Maharashtra, the dead were buried in north-south direction while in South India in the east-west direction
Limitations of Chalcolithioc Phase
The limitations of Chalcolithic phase were:
Chalcolithic people could not make full use of domestic animals as they used them only for food and not for
milk (they thought that milk is for animals young ones)
They did not do much of cultivation. They lived in black cotton soil area which required iron tools for
cultivation and there are no traces of plough or hoe
Chalcolithc phase did not show longevity. There are traces of a large number of children buried which indicate
lack of nutrition and outbreak of epidemics
People had no knowledge of mixing two metals so they could not use the stronger metal bronze nicely.
Copper had its own limitations and its supply was also less
People were not aware of the art of writing and they could not gain any benefit from the technical knowledge
of the Indus people
Chalcolithic Sites in Indian Sub-Continent
Indus Region

4/6

1. Mohenjodaro
2. Harappa
3. Ropar
4. Suratgarh
5. Hanumangarh
6. Channudaro
7. Jhukar
8. Amri
9. Jhangar
Ganges Region
1. Kausambi
2. Alamgirpur
Brahmaputra Region
Mahanadi Region
Chambal Region
1. Pseva
2. Nagda
3. Paramar kheri
4. Tungini
5. Metwa
6. Takraoda
7. Bhilsuri
8. Maori
9. Ghanta Bilaod
10. Betwa
11. Bilawati
12. Ashta
Rajputana Saurashtra
1. Rangpur
2. Ahar
3. Prashas Patan
4. Lakhabawal
5. Lothal
6. Pithadia
7. Rojdi

5/6

8. Adkot
Narmada Region
1. Navdatoli
2. Maheshwar
3. Bhagatrav
4. Telod
5. Mehgam
6. Hasanpur
Tapi Region
1. Prakash
2. Bahal
Godavari-Pravara Region
1. Jware
2. Nasik
3. Kopergaon
4. Nivasa
5. Daimabad
Bhima Region
1. Karegaon
2. Chandoli
3. Umbraj
4. Chanegaon
5. Anacji
6. Hingni
7. Nagarhalli
Karnataka Region
1. Brahmagiri
2. Piklithal
3. Maski

6/6