Age of the Veda ...

[L.S.Cousins]

Michael Witzel writes:

>* it is a pre-iron age (copper/bronze) age text of the Greater Panjab
>(incl. parts of Afghanistan).
>This sets a date ante quem of c. 1200, the earliest iron in India.
>
>(iron is, not surprisingly, found in an old section of the linguistically
>slightly later text, the Atharvaveda, both SS and PS)

Can you clarify this a little for me ?

Two points:

1. I have not kept up with the literature on this, but you must be
referring to relatively recent archaeological evidence, since the
date for the first iron in India used to be quite a bit later than
this. How extensive and how reliable is the archaeological evidence
that confirms such an early date ?

2. We know that cultures at different stages of technological
development can exist side by side for quite long periods. How can
you rule out the possibility of some iron-age technology existing at
the same time as other large areas which don't use iron at all ?

Lance Cousins

OXFORD, UK

CURRENT EMAIL ADDRESSES:
L.S.Cousins at nessie.mcc.ac.uk or selwyn at dtn.ntl.com