Iron Age began on Tamil soil 5,300 yrs ago: Stalin
Armed with findings of the state’s archeology department which trace the earliest use of iron in Tamil Nadu to 3345 BCE, CM M.K. Stalin declared Thursday that the “Iron Age began on Tamil soil!”
Findings released by Stalin suggest that the Iron Age in Tamil Nadu was contemporaneous with the Copper/Bronze Age of the Indus Valley Civilisation—about “5,300 years ago”.
Releasing the report titled, ‘Antiquity of Iron: Recent radiometric dates from Tamil Nadu’ at the Anna Centenary Library in Chennai, Stalin said samples excavated from various archaeological sites in the state were sent to laboratories around the world.
As a result, the earliest recorded use of iron in Tamil Nadu has been traced to the first quarter of the 4th millennium BCE.
“I am telling the world, the technology of smelting iron began in Tamil Nadu around 5,300 years ago. I am saying it with scientific evidence. We can now confidently say that iron was introduced in South India, particularly in Tamil Nadu, around 3345 BCE. It is confirmed through reports of samples that were sent to laboratories around the world including those in Florida in the United States,” said Stalin.
The Iron Age marks the period in human history when iron became the primary material for crafting weapons and tools. In India, it traditionally dates back to around 1000 BCE, following the Indus Valley Civilization (3300 BCE–1300 BCE).