The Copper Age in India

The Copper Age was the first metal age in India. It was an important period related to the prehistoric growth of human society in India. Indus valley sites were some important sites during this period. This cultural period was known for its use of copper tools and weapons of copper potteries made by various regional rural settlements. Earlier humans used tools made of stone but ultimately learned how to mine metals and shape them as desired. Copper was often chosen as it was available in large quantities and could be produced into sharp tools.

Pottery

The site of Mehrgarh, Baluchistan, provides evidence for pottery making. One of the main features of the Copper Age was the well-developed ceramic industry. Fine painted, as well as plain and rough potteries,  were made for numerous purposes. Manufacturing pottery was considered an important craft of the period using techniques such as handmade, slow turntable, and fast wheel.

Pottery was made using fine and pure clay for coarse pottery and then mixed with materials such as fine sand, chopped grass, husks of rice, etc. The fineware produced was coloured with various shades of red and painted with black or a dark colour. They used haematite rock to prepare the colours. Common pottery shapes from this period include bowls, lotas, basins, dishes, etc. People of that time were expert coppersmiths.

Economy

The economy of the people was mainly dependent on animal rearing, catching fish and farming. They cultivated several crops like barley, wheat, bajra, jowar, bean, pea, black gram, etc. Barley was their major cereal. Inamgaon tells us that people would be used to practising crop rotation and artificial irrigation. Excavations on various sites revealed many pieces of evidence of domestic and wild animals. Sheep, cattle, goats, dogs, pigs, horses, and other animals were domesticated. Archaeologists have found bones of cattle and sheep at multiple sites. The bones also had cut and chop marks, which means they slaughtered young animals for food.

Houses

They built rectangular and circular houses of different sizes with mud walls. In Savalda culture, most houses were single-roomed, but some houses had two or three rooms. The walls were made of mud and decorated using quartz cobbles. The floors were made with burnt clay or river gravel mixed with clay.

Tools, Beads, Figures

People during the copper age were fond of ornaments and decorations. They made ornaments using beads of semi-precious stones. The tools made included blades, penknives, blunted black blades, etc. People used blade tools that were shiny on the sharp edge for harvesting purposes. Some objects were made using moulds, while others were hammered to the desired shape. Beads of gold and ivory, a spiral earring of gold, and anklets of copper were found at Inamgaon, and numerous terracotta figures were found, suggesting they were fond of ornaments and decorations.

Religious Beliefs

Archaeologists have found female clay figures, which indicates that they venerated the mother goddess. Female figures with or without heads were found. At Nivada, a large headless female figure was found devoid of physical features, and a similar figure was found at Inamgaon. At Inamgaon, a headless female figure and a figure of a bull were found. Goddess Sakambhari, worshipped to ward off draughts, was represented through these figures. In chalcolithic settlements, male figures were a rarity.

A painted jar of the Malwa period was found that has two panels, the upper panel looks like a human figure wearing a garment of twigs and surrounded by animals such as deer, peacocks, etc. The lower panel depicts jumping tigers or panthers. This vessel was heavily decorated with elegant paintings that may be used in their rituals.

Conclusion

The Copper Age came between the Stone Age and the Bronze Age. The people of this age used unique painted earthenware that was generally black on red. The economy was majorly dependent on agriculture, hunting, and fishing. Pottery manufacturing and painting were important features of their culture. During excavations, it was found that they used stones, mud bricks, and mud for construction. Houses were made in rectangular and circular shapes, with roofs made of straw and clay floors.