Know the limitations of Chalcolithic Culture

The Chalcolithic period was a transitional period between the Neolithic period and the Bronze Age. Copper and bronze were discovered primarily in this age. During this period, metals and stones were used to make tools and vessels for various purposes. During the Chalcolithic period, people were not doing their usual hunting and gathering; instead, they were involved in activities such as farming, fishing, cattle rearing, etc. Some animals domesticated by them were sheep, buffalo, goats and pigs. They had several cultures, such as Jowre, Ahar, Kaytha, etc. Each of these cultures had typical characteristics of its own.

Cultures of the Chalcolithic period

Some important Chalcolithic cultures are-

Ahar culture

Another name for Ahar culture is Banas culture. The term Banas is derived from the valley where most sites related to the Chalcolithic culture existed. There are rich mineral deposits in this region, and evidence shows this region provided copper to the Harappan sites. It was dated between 2100-1500 BC and was situated in the Banas river valley.

The unique feature of this culture is that they used to make black and red wares with dotted designs, and they used white pigments to paint them.

Malwa culture

The Malwa culture was the main Chalcolithic culture of India. The Malwa culture existed between 1900-1400 BC. The dominance of agriculture was an important feature of this culture. People grew wheat, barley and legumes. The houses that were built in this period were unplanned and unsystematic. The houses were constructed in the shapes of round huts. They used to make pottery in red and orange colours with geometric, floral and animal designs painted on them.

Kayatha culture

The Kayatha culture was named after the Kayatha site in Ujjain. The chocolate slipped ceramic made during this culture was named Kayatha ware. The objects made were bowls, storage jars with high and shirt necks. Ornaments such as two-bead necklaces were also found. They used semi-precious stones to make beads. Archaeologists have also found a cache of copper and two copper-made axes.

People used to live in small huts with properly rammed floors and thatched roofs. Their economy was a mixed economy where people were involved in farming, stock raising and fishing. The people domesticated goats and sheep. The remains of a horse were also found there.

Limitations in the Chalcolithic period

The people during the Chalcolithic period did not use domestic animals to their full extent. They slaughtered the animals only for food and not milk. They thought the milk was only for the young ones of animals. They lived in an area where black cotton soil was present. This type of soil requires iron tools for cultivation, but no evidence of a plough was found. This also tells us that they weren’t much of an agricultural community.

The rate of infant mortality was high in this period. They buried a lot of children in western Maharashtra. It is stated that there were many outbreaks of epidemics and lack of nutrition was common in infants. The reason could also be that they didn’t have proper medical facilities available. The social and economic pattern did not promote longevity.

People had no idea about making bronze by mixing copper and tin. The tradition of stone and copper had a rural background. The supply of copper was less, and also it had its limitations. The copper alloy, known as bronze, is stronger than copper and tin. People lacked knowledge of writing, so they did not get any technical knowledge from the people of Indus Valley. These people did not live in cities because the people of the Bronze Age lived there.

Conclusion

The Chalcolithic period was the first metal age. Many cultures started using metals, and they used copper mostly. Chalcolithic culture can be found mainly in pre- Harappan sites. The people mostly lived near hills and alongside banks of rivers. There were many cultures during the chalcolithic period, such as Ahar, Kayatha, Malwa, etc. All these cultures had distinct features. We have also seen various limitations in the chalcolithic period. One of the limitations was that the rate of infant mortality was high. Evidence has been found of burials of many children, which suggests there had been an outbreak of epidemics. During the Chalcolithic period, the socio-economic pattern did not promote longevity.