By vinayias desk saf
Iron age
Iron age refers to the age of that time period when men used the implements of iron. vinayiasacademy.com
The Iron Age was a period in history of human that started between 1200 B.C. and 600 B.C., depending on the region in respect with reference , and followed the Stone Age and Bronze Ag e. During the Iron Age, people across region of Europe, Asia and another parts of Africa came to know about how to use iron and steel by modifying it into tools and weapon. In some part of societies, along with Ancient Greece, there was period of cultural decline with the beginning of iron age. vinayiasacademy.com
Humans may have smelted iron and its supplements throughout the Bronze Age, because they probably saw iron as an inferior metal. As we know, Iron tools and weapons were not as hard and it was impossible to make them use in daily life.The use of iron became more widespread and handy among people of that time after they learned how to convert steel into much harder metal,as they came to know the method of heating iron with carbon. Most famously place named as The Hittites—who lived during the Bronze Age in what is now Turkey—may have been the first to make steel. vinayiasacademy.com
Around the time period of 1200 BC The Iron Age began in some part of the Mediterranean region and Near East where we already found the evidence of the establishment of several prominent Bronze Age civilizations, that include famous region like the Mycenaean civilization in Greece and the Hittite Empire in Turkey. As trade routes were lost and literacy declined throughout the region this result into the vanishment of some popular cities of ancient time like troy and gaza. vinayiasacademy.com
The reason behind the declination or collapse of these Bronze Age kingdoms remains as mysteries. Somehow, Archaeological evidence suggests a succession of severe droughts in the eastern Mediterranean region over a 150-year period from 1250 to 1100 B.C. likely figured prominently in the collapse. Other factor such as Earthquakes, famine, sociopolitical unrest and invasion by nomadic tribes may also have played a role in the declination of this age kingdom. vinayiasacademy.com
On the other hand, Some experts believe that a disruption in trade routes may have created shortages of the copper or tin that were used as basic element to make bronze around this time. Metal smiths, as a result, may have turned to iron as an alternative. vinayiasacademy.com
Many scholars suggest the end of the Iron Age era around the time period of 550 BC, when Herodotus, popularly known as “The Father of History, began writing his book which was named as “The Histories,” though the end date varies by region. In Scandinavia, it ended closer to 800 AD with the rise of the Vikings. In Western and Central Europe, the end of the Iron Age is typically identified as coinciding with the Roman conquest during the first century BC. vinayiasacademy.com
On the basis of prevalence of iron ,iron age is divided into 3 sub age:
First sub age- the era of time period from 1300 BC to 1000 BC. That provides the information about the area that influence the first sub age like pirak that is in baluchistan now in the country Pakistan and Hallie that is in Karnataka region of country India.
Second sub age – the era of time period from 1000 BC to 800 BC that provides information about the area that influence the second sub age are whole gangetic region and Karnataka as some of the region of North and South also came into light of evidence.
Third sub age – the era of time period from 800 BC to 500 BC that provides information about the area that influence the third sub age are major region of India like north India and South India as well. vinayiasacademy.com
*Iron age in Asia – there are evidence that proof the fact that Iron was being used to manufacture some items in the time period of 3rd millennium BC. The evidence that were found such as a small copper or bronze bell with an iron clapper, a copper or bronze rod with two iron decorative buttons, and a copper or bronze mirror handle with a decorative iron button. Fact that are related to art also include small knives and blades that have been discovered in the region of Indian state of Telangana which have been dated between 2,400 BC and 1800 BC. It was estimated that the history of metallurgy in the Indian subcontinent began around the time period of 3rd
millennium BC. there are some of famous Archaeological sites that are peresnt India, such as Malhar, Dadupur, Raja Nala Ka Tila, Lahuradewa, Kosambi and Jhasi and Allahabad that is situated in present-day Utter Pradesh show iron implements that was part of the period from 1800 to 1200 BC. As per information that were taken as the evidence from the sites such as Raja Nala ka tila, Malhar, these areas suggest the use of Iron in the time period from 1800 to 1700 BC. As per the evidence the extensive use of iron smelting is from Malhar and its surrounding area. This site is popularly known as the center for smelted bloomer iron around this area due to its location near the region of the Karamnasa River and Ganga River. Moreover, this site shows some of best example of agricultural technology where the process of iron implementation took place of particular things such as sickles, nails, clamps, spearheads, etc by the time period of at least 1500 BC. Additionally, contribution of Archaeological excavations that was done in Hyderabad gain attention and provide the evidence of an Iron Age burial site. In the beginning of the 1st millennium BC it shows the example of extensive developments in the field of iron metallurgy in India at that time. By the time period of era Technological advancement and mastery of iron metallurgy were achieved during this period of peaceful settlements. One ironworking centre in east India has been estimated that it belongs to the 1st millennium BC. In Southern part of India (that belongs to present-day Mysore) in early days of 12th to 11th centuries BC there were the evidence of appearance of iron; these developments were too early for any significant close contact with the northwest of the country. However, in The Indian Upanishads it is clearly mentioned that process of iron metallurgy and in addition to this fact it is also mentioned that the Indian Mauryan period also contribute in the evidence of advances in metallurgy. As early as 300 BC, certainly by AD 200, the archeological research and evidence draw our attention toward the production of high-quality steel in southern part of India, by what would later be called the crucible technique. In this system, the three main element such as high-purity wrought iron, charcoal, and glass were mixed in a crucible and later on heated until the iron melted and absorbed the carbon. The protohistoric period of Early Iron Age in the region of Sri Lanka lasted from 1000 BC to 600 BC. vinayiasacademy.com However, evidence of Iron usage was found during the work of Excavation of a Protohistoric Canoe burial Site in the region of Haldummulla and it is estimated that this time preriod belongs to 2400 BC. There are few more examples such as Radiocarbon evidence that has been collected from the region of Anuradhapura and Aligala shelter in Sigiriya. The Anuradhapura settlement is recorded to extend upto 25 acres of land by the time period of 800 BC and grew upto to 120 acres by the time period of 700–600 BC to become a town. The skeletal remains of an Early Iron Age chief were excavated in Anaikoddai, Jaffna. The name ‘Ko Veta’ is engraved in Brahmi script on a seal buried with the skeleton and is assigned by the excavators to the 3rd century BC. Ko, meaning “King” in Tamil, is comparable to such names as Ko Atan and Ko Putivira occurring in contemporary Brahmi inscriptions in south India.[64] It is also speculated that Early Iron Age sites may exist in Kandarodai, Matota, Pilapitiya and Tissamaha. vinayiasacademy.com
