Early Iron Age Cultures

1000 BCE

A change in pottery styles marks the advent of the Iron Age in the northern part of the subcontinent. The Painted Grey Ware culture begins its expansion from the upper Gangetic regions and the Ghaggar-Hakra River valley, including present-day sites in India such as Ahichchhatra, Hastinapur and Mathura in Uttar Pradesh; and Panipat, Jogankhera and Kosambi in Haryana. Pottery from this culture reaches a standardised representation and is made from terracotta, stone and glass with decorative faience, often representing human and animal figurines. There is evidence of walled settlements with a hierarchy: sites such as Jakhera in present-day Uttar Pradesh contain semi-urban constructions, structures to accommodate surplus agricultural yield, paved roads and riverine connections, and markers of trade in mineral ores and iron tools. Fired bricks, possibly associated with ritual altars, suggest the emergence of social organisation and ritual concepts.

Bibliography

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