Month: January 2025

Chennai: Iron has shaped Tamil civilisation for over five millennia – far longer than recorded history suggests. Recent archaeological discoveries in Tamil Nadu, particularly from Adichanallur and Sivakalai, push the region’s mastery of iron-smelting as far back as 3,345 BCE. This places Tamil Nadu among the world’s earliest hubs of iron technology, predating even the cultural memory embedded in Sangam-era poetry. The resonance of this legacy is evident in verses like those of Ponmudiyar in Puranaanooru, where iron is more than just metal – it is history, war, and survival.

“Eendru purantharuthal en thalai kadane, saandron aakuthal thanthaikku kadane, velvaditu koduthal kollarku kadane.”

(“It is my bounden duty to give birth to and nurture the child, the duty of the father to make him an accomplished human being, and the duty of the blacksmith to give him instruments for warfare.”)

The poem not only demonstrates the social significance of iron but also corroborates the region’s ancient expertise in metallurgy, now affirmed by groundbreaking scientific evidence.

It is no surprise, then, that Tamil Nadu chief minister M.K. Stalin shared this discovery on January 23 with immense pride, stating:

“The introduction of iron is one of the most significant technological advancements of human civilisation! It laid the foundation for transforming forests into settlements, advancing agricultural growth, and shaping societal structures. The use of iron, as celebrated in Sangam literature, like Narrinai – ‘Irumbusei Kollan Vevvulai Thelitha Thoimadal Silneer Pola!’ – dates back 5,300 years. With great joy, I announced to the world that this era began right here in Tamil Nadu, as confirmed by recent research findings.”

These findings mark a groundbreaking revelation by the Tamil Nadu Department of Archaeology, confirming that the region’s use of iron dates back more than 5,300 years. Excavations in Adichanallur and Sivakalai, located in Thoothukudi district, have revealed that iron smelting in the region occurred between 2,600 BCE and 3,345 BCE, making Tamil Nadu one of the earliest places globally to utilise iron.

“The recent scientific findings that indicate the antiquity of the use of iron in the Tamil region back to as early as 3,345 BCE is truly phenomenal. It has opened a new window of understanding and fresh debates on the subject. I am particularly happy that the claim is being endorsed by many acclaimed researchers, scholars in the field. I appreciate the efforts taken by the Archaeology department of the government of Tamil Nadu,” says R. Balakrishnan, former IAS officer, writer and researcher of Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC). 

“I consider this announcement augurs well for the civilisational claim being made by Tamil Nadu which extends much beyond the political boundaries of present day Tamil Nadu spatially and much deeper temporally than the timelines generally known as “Sangam Age”. As a researcher in the field of Indus Valley Civilisation I have been persistently positioning the Sangam corpus as a pan Indian literature par excellence. This corpus through its deeply embedded ‘carried forward memories’ holds the key to unravel the riddles of Indus,” Balakrishnan adds.

Further, he underlined that “the new radiometric dates that push back the antiquity of the use of iron in Tamil land” indeed strengthens “the Dravidian hypothesis of the linguistic affiliation of IVC.” 

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Drawing parallels with the Harappan civilisation, Balakrishnan says, “The suggestion that Iron Age of South India co-existed with the bronze /copper Age of Harappan Civilisation does not indicate any conflict with the Dravidian Hypothesis of IVBC. Dravidian Hypothesis is not merely an archaeological construct. The civilisational links that connect the populations that lived in the north west and the western parts of India and in the southern India must be approached through transdisciplinary lenses. There are plenty of evidence that vouch for the continuity. I feel the traditional Three Age system of Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages needs to be revisited.”

Globally, the oldest iron artifacts were discovered in 1911 at Al-Gerzeh, northern Egypt, in tombs dating between 3,400 BCE and 3,100 BCE. However, these artifacts were made from meteoric iron rather than being smelted from ore. The technology for smelting iron ore is believed to have originated around 1,300 BCE in Anatolia (modern-day Turkey) before spreading to other regions.

In India, it was once believed that iron smelting technology began around 1,000 BCE. However, recent archaeological findings have confirmed earlier usage. For example, iron artifacts from Aktha in Uttar Pradesh have been dated to between 1,800 BCE and 1,450 BCE, while those from Kachiguda in Telangana date back to 2,200 BCE.

And archaeological discoveries can keep throwing unexpected surprises. Balakrishnan points to a parallel case study of Pot Route that he had presented in the book Journey of a Civilisation in the chapter “The Dravidian Red.”

“In the traditional archaeological approach, the south Indian pottery which is predominantly Black and Red Ware, has been generally characterised as the neolithic /megalithic pottery and dealt with in isolation as if it had no connection with the BRW pottery found elsewhere and had no connection with the probable Harappan continuity. But when we take an ‘aerial view’ and do a spatial mapping of the spread of BRW pottery it offers a different clue. BRW turns out to be pan-Indian pottery in comparative terms particularly when we take the limited zone of occurrence of the Painted Grey Ware. It is relevant to note that PGW had no presence in the entire south India and also in eastern India. It is also relevant to note that the Graffiti signs that show similarity with the signs of Harappan are not found at all in the PGW pottery and mostly found in the BRW pottery. The traditional approach to archaeology does not give any weightage to such factors. Hence, a fresh look is required.”

When discussing possible trade links with Egypt, Balakrishnan remains cautious: “I am not sure about the Egyptian trade links at that point of time. And, it is too early to speculate now.”

The discovery about Tamil Nadu comes from carbon dating conducted on organic materials found alongside iron artifacts in Adichanallur and Sivakalai. At Adichanallur, samples from a depth of 220 cm indicated an average age of 2,613 BCE. Meanwhile, at Sivakalai, organic materials from burial urns were dated to as early as 3,345 BCE. These dates suggest that Tamil Nadu’s expertise in smelting and using iron predates many civilisations.

The Tamil Nadu chief minister, while releasing the report titled “The Antiquity of Iron,” stated that the findings position Tamil Nadu as a potential pioneer in iron-smelting technology. “This suggests that the global development of iron-smelting technology may have originated here,” he said.

The excitement surrounding these discoveries reached new heights following earlier finds, including an iron sword uncovered at Mangadu in Salem, which was dated to 1,604 BCE. This sword was just one of the many examples of iron artefacts found across Tamil Nadu, each further confirming the region’s expertise in metallurgy. 

Subsequent excavations in Tiruvannamalai and Krishnagiri districts have only reinforced the claim that Tamil Nadu was a hub for ancient ironworking, with numerous artifacts suggesting a rich tradition of metallurgical knowledge. Tools such as axes, knives, and agricultural implements have been found, and their design reveals a high degree of sophistication that reflects an advanced understanding of metalworking.

R. Sivanandam, deputy director of the Tamil Nadu Archaeology Department, emphasised the revolutionary nature of these findings. He noted:

“These discoveries are significant because they challenge the established narrative of ancient metallurgy. The evidence suggests that iron smelting and the use of iron tools began in Tamil Nadu long before it appeared in other parts of India, including the Harappan civilisation, which was still using copper when Tamil Nadu had already begun working with iron.”

One of the key findings is that Tamil Nadu lacked the significant copper deposits found in the northern parts of the subcontinent, which may have played a crucial role in the region’s early adoption of iron. Without easy access to copper, Tamil societies were likely pushed to explore alternative materials, and this may have led to the early mastery of iron smelting techniques.

The discovery of high-quality bronze artifacts from the 15th century BCE further supports this theory, as it shows that metalworking, particularly in iron and bronze, was already highly advanced in the region. These artifacts, however, are not accompanied by large-scale bronze production centers, suggesting that the focus was predominantly on iron from the outset.

But Balakrishnan argues that Sangam also mentions bronze. “Sangam texts attest the use of iron and smelting process multiple times and give a clear understanding about the use of iron implements mostly in agriculture and in warfare. The corpus also simultaneously celebrates copper/bronze as not only a ‘prestige metal’ but also indicates the use of bronze/copper like materials in the urban infrastructures such as ‘copper like brick made walls’ etc.”

“To me Sangam literature at once stands witness to the flourishing of bronze and iron within the geographies of the Indian subcontinent. For the Indus civilisation, iron was unknown. For Rig Veda, copper/ bronze was unknown. In Sanskrit the first reference to bronze appears in Yajur Veda and Taitriya Brahmanas only. The only classical text that talks about bronze in the context of urban infrastructures is Sangam corpus. There exists a general view that the Tamil region skipped the bronze age altogether and entered the iron age directly. And I am of the view that this notion needs to be revisited. There are few shortsighted, ‘fly-by-night historians’ who try to paint a picture as if bronze and iron were involved in a tug of war. It is hilarious to put it mildly,” he adds.

Interestingly, the use of iron in Tamil Nadu appears to have extended beyond merely utilitarian functions. Iron artifacts found in burial sites, including urns, suggest a strong connection between metallurgy and ritual practices. These findings indicate that iron had a symbolic significance, playing a role in religious ceremonies or in marking important cultural milestones. The burial urns, many of which are exquisitely crafted, reflect an advanced understanding of both ironworking and its role in shaping cultural and spiritual practices.

While iron artifacts from other regions of India, like Uttar Pradesh and Telangana, have been dated to around 2,200 BCE, the discoveries in Tamil Nadu appear to predate these, offering a new perspective on the region’s historical role in metallurgy. These earlier dates have sparked renewed interest in the role Tamil Nadu played in the broader development of metalworking across the Indian subcontinent and beyond. Researchers now believe that the technology for smelting and working with iron might have spread from Tamil Nadu to neighbouring regions, influencing the development of ironworking in other parts of India and even in Southeast Asia.

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The findings in Tamil Nadu have had a profound impact on global archaeological and historical scholarship. Scholars across the world are now rethinking the spread of iron technology, with Tamil Nadu emerging as a key origin point for this critical technology. As Sivanandam explains, “These discoveries provide invaluable insights into how metallurgy developed in ancient India and how it may have spread across the globe. As research continues, we expect to find more evidence that will further refine our understanding of the spread of iron technology.”

For Tamil Nadu, these revelations are not merely academic – they serve as a reminder of the region’s long standing contributions to the world’s technological and cultural heritage. The state’s rich archaeological past is now firmly established as a key chapter in the history of human progress. Iron, as a foundational material in both technological and social advancements, played a central role in Tamil Nadu’s development long before the rest of the world caught up.

As the Tamil Nadu Archaeology Department continues its research, the future holds promise for even more exciting discoveries. Experts are hopeful that ongoing excavations in Tamil Nadu and around the world will provide further clues that could reshape the historical narrative regarding the origins of iron technology.

As Balakrishnan says, this is not the end after all. “I consider the point at which Indus spread ended, the Sangam texts took off. The intervening geography is what I have called “Dravidian Gujarat” and “Dravidian Maharashtra” in my book Journey of a Civilization: Indus to Vaigai. I would like to state that the recent findings further strengthen this viewpoint. The flourishing of bronze and beginning of iron technology within the Indian subcontinent are two important milestones in the journey of our civilisation which I consider fundamentally plural in nature. While negating the idea of melting pot pluralism and Salad bowl pluralism to propose the metaphor of Rain Forest Pluralism. And ancient Tamil texts are the legacy holders of both antiquity and continuity involving two great metals namely copper/ bronze and iron.”

Meanwhile, the recent revelations offer a glimpse into a time when Tamil Nadu was a beacon of technological progress, standing at the forefront of one of humanity’s most significant advancements – the mastery of iron. 

Kavitha Muralidharan is an independent journalist