Chalcolithic Pottery As A Source of History

Chalcolithic pottery as a source of history
First metal to be used, mostly by the end of Neolithic period, was Copper and period was called
Chalcolithic period. It is called Chalcolithic because of stone and well as copper was prevalent in this
period.
There was no literary tradition in Chalcolithic period and sources to know about the culture of this
period are archaeological sources among which pottery plays an important role as a source of history
of this period. Mainly Black and Red pottery was used during this period which were Wheel made fine
pottery as well as hand-made pottery.
Chalcolithic pottery can be used as a source of history of this period as it gives insight into culture
and life styles of the people in absense of a written script:
Advanced Ceramic industry:

Pottery tells us that its manufacturing was an important craft of this period.
The pottery is wheel-made as well as hand made.
The pottery is well fired mostly by the inverted firing technique (generally black from inside
and red from outside) which tells us about advanced pottery making technology known to
the people.
It tells us about the variety presence in the Ceramic industry of Chalcolithic period which
included the manufacturing pottery with different shape, size and color. Followings are
examples of pottery associated with many Chalcolithic cultures:
Jodhpura culture:
Orange to red wheel-thrown ware with incised designs
Ganeshwar culture:
Wheel-made and handmade coarse red-slipped pottery with incised designs was
retrieved.
Typical shapes being bowls and jars.
Ahar culture:
It yielded seven main wares, with the white painted black-and-red ware being the
distinctive type.
The common shapes in this wheel-made pottery are bowls, jars and dishes.
Large quantities of red and grey wares were also found and bowls, lotas and
ribbed vessels constitute the main shapes in the red-slipped ware.
Rangpur culture:
A fine fabric red ware with a bright red slip which bears a high polish and is
painted in black.
Malwa culture:
Wheel-made buff or cream slipped pottery, painted in black or brown.
Its main vessel shapes are lotas, bowls, storage jars, channel spouted bowls and
pedestalled goblets and it is exceptionally rich in form and vivid painted designs,
geometric and naturalistic.
Savalda culture:
Wheel-made ware with medium to coarse fabric, having a thick slip in varying
shades of brown.
It is painted over in black, purplish red or in both and a variety of designs
including geometric forms, stylized naturalistic designs — fish, birds, peacocks —
and even tools and weapons are found on it.
The types represented include high necked jars, basins, dishes-on-stand, dishes
and bowls.
Jorwe culture:
Inamgaon has furnished a rich haul of Jorwe pottery.
An advanced ceramic technique is evident in this wheel-made, well fired pottery
with a fine fabric and a profusion of design and form.
Pottery kilns and lime kilns have been found — manufacturing evidence of this
black-on-red pottery, which usually has geometric motifs depicted.
The typical forms are globular high-necked jars, spouted jars and carinated bowls.
Use of different colors:
Use of different colours in the pottery indicates the aesthetic sense of
prehistorical people of Chalcolithic period. It also shows that they know
technique of making several colors from natural rocks.
Different size and shape of pottery:
Different sizes and shapes of pottery tells us about different uses of the pottery
and lifestyle of the people of the Chalcolithic period.
For example:
Big storage jars indicate they might be used for storing food grains which
point towards agricultural surplus.
Perforated jars might have been used for making wines.
Jars with narrow neck might have been used for storing water.
Burial practices:
Pottery also tells us about the burial practises of the Chalcolithic period.
In several Chalcolithic burial sites, grave goods in pottery have been found.
It may indicate a belief in next birth.
It also indicates the beginning of social inequalities in Chalcolithic period.
Contact and influence of Harappan civilization:
There are similarities between the wheel-made pottery of Ganeshwar and
early Harappan pottery. The early Harappans may have been obtaining their
copper from here.
Harappan pottery was found on the surface at two Ganeshwar culture sites.
At Ganeshwar itself, there is a reserved slip ware which is only found in the
Harappan context at Banawali and a few other places. Double spiral-headed
pins from Ganeshwar have been found at some Harappan sites. All this
suggests cultural contact between the Ganeshwar and Harappan cultures.
Prabhas and Rangpur pottery clearly shows the influence of Harappan
pottery which is reflected in their glossy surface.
Trade in Pottery:
Inamgaon pottery has been found at several sites located far away. This
shows that the people used to trade the pottery to distant places.
Agriculture:
Pottery also gives us some information related to agriculture.
Charred grains of rice and impressions of paddy husks on the pottery show
that rice was the principal cereal.
Paintings on Pottery gives us the following information:
Stylized naturalistic designs – birds, peacocks, bulls, antelopes etc. – and
tools and weapons like bows, arrows are found on pottery gives us evidence
of hunting.
Various geometrical designs like triangles, dots, and circles, diamonds,
hooks, stylized ‘S’ motifs, along with wavy lines, straight lines, broad thick
bands as borders shows the advanced aesthetic sense of the Chalcolithic
people as well as some religious symbols.
Boat on some pots may indicate log distance trade or using boat as a mode of
transport.
Religious belief of Chalcolithic period can be inferred from the paintings of
Sun, mother goddess, geometrical deigns like circle on the pottery.
Evidence of fishery can be provided by the painting of fishes on the pottery.
Domestication of dogs and cattle can be derived from their paintings on the
pottery.
Though pottery is a useful source of history of Chalcolithic period, there are certain limitation:
Pottery only reflects the material culture and that too in parts rather than presenting the whole
picture.
The various interpretations regarding the use of pottery, significance of paintings on pottery,
and other information need to be collaborated with other sources like various tools,
implements, settlement patterns, burial practices etc.

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