Main Characteristics of Chalcolithic Age

The Chalcolithic Age was also known as the Copper Age. This age is also known as the pre-Harappan phase, when the rural settlements, as well as cattle rearing, started to take place. This period spanned around 2000 BC 2700 BC in India. 

Art and craft are also found in the Chalcolithic Period’s sites. Different Chalcolithic cultures can also be seen at various sites found by archaeologists. The first metal that was discovered in India during the Chalcolithic period was copper.

Many important features, such as the presence of painted pottery and burials in a particular direction, were found during the Chalcolithic Age. Along with this, various bronze tools were recovered during the time period. 

Important characteristics of the Chalcolithic Period

The Bronze-Copper age witnessed a huge change in the lifestyle as well as the making of tools during that period. Some of the most important features of the Chalcolithic Age are:

1.Presence of Painted pottery.

The presence of painted pottery is considered to be a hallmark of the Chalcolithic Age. The emergence of art and craft by people like coppersmiths and stone workers is an important characteristic of the Chalcolithic period.

Painted pottery has been found in many parts of India, such as South-Eastern Rajasthan, Western Madhya Pradesh, Western Maharashtra, etc. 

Different potteries were also used by the people during the Chalcolithic Age. One of the most common pottery was the black-and-red pottery made by the Ahar people and was also widely used among them. Ochre-colored pottery was also widely in use during the Chalcolithic period. The presence of painted pottery is one of the most important features people noticed during the Chalcolithic period.

2.The practice of being buried in a particular direction.

One of the most striking characteristics during the Chalcolithic period was the practice of being buried in a particular direction. The dead were buried in a particular direction. 

• During the Chalcolithic age, people buried the dead on the floors of their houses. They were buried in the north-south direction and were also kept along with pots and copper objects. 

• Children in the Nawas region were buried with copper necklaces kept around their necks or with pottery next to them. This was most common for children who belonged to affluent families.  

• Bodies were also found kept with 2 big axes and 29 bangles in the Kayatha region.

3.A range of bronze tools was recovered during the time period.

The Chalcolithic Age is also known as the bronze copper age, where a variety of bronze tools were recovered during that time period. 

Bronze tools were widely used to make knives, axes, fishing hooks, rods, and many more. These tools were made by mixing tin and copper and creating an alloy, bronze. Since this alloy was harder than copper, it was widely used for making tools and weapons during the Chalcolithic Age. 

With the discovery that many bronze tools were recovered during that time period, people also found evidence of these tools being used in various parts of India. Bronze was also used for the invention of the wheel that revolutionized transport as well as pottery production during the Chalcolithic period.

Conclusion

The Chalcolithic Age comprises many significant features, such as the presence of painted pottery and the dead being buried in a particular direction. Also, a variety of bronze tools were recovered during that time period. The Chalcolithic Age is a very crucial age that revolutionized the manufacture of tools and transport.