Radiocarbon dating of excavations from Mayiladumparai in Krishnagiri district confirmed that iron was in used in Tamil Nadu as early as 2172 BCE — or 4,200 years ago — making it the oldest iron age site currently found in India, Chief Minister MK Stalin announced in the state Assembly on Monday, May 9.

Separately, the Department released a report, ‘Mayiladumparai - Beginning of Agrarian Society; 4,200-year-old Iron Age Culture in Tamil Nadu’, detailing the findings.

“The history of the Indian subcontinent should henceforth commence only from the Tamil landscape and the government is working towards scientifically establishing it through evidence,” Stalin said. The excavations have led to three major findings — that the Iron Age in Tamil Nadu has been identified as early as 2172 BCE; that the late Neolithic phase (or the last part of the Stone Age) has been identified before 2200 BCE; and that black-red pottery was introduced in the late Neolithic phase itself and not in the Iron Age.

Previously, the Iron Age burial site of Adichanallur in southern Tamil Nadu had revealed an impressive collection of iron implements, currently housed in Chennai’s Egmore Museum, dated between 1000 BCE and 600 BCE.

The iron Age period across the world is considered to have started between 1200-600 BCE. It was preceded by the stone age and the bronze age where tools were made with these two items.

The report released by the government also spoke about references in Sangam literature on iron, the use of iron, and to the methods of making iron weapons. Literature refers to iron as 'blacksmiths' and 'blacksmiths with strong hands'.

“It can be said that the iron industry was very advanced from the fact that many fine words about the iron industry find a place in Tamil literature. One could realise that the iron technology was in an advanced stage as one could find many fine technical terms in Tamil literature,” he said.