Mahabharata date. Was: Iron Age in India

[Rajesh Kochhar]

In the literature, one can find arguments that assign a date to the Bharata
battle ranging in round numbers from  3000BC to 1000BC..It is easier to date
the beginning of the iron age than to date the Bharata battle. It would be
better to fix the beginning of the iron age from independent sources and
then use this information to constrain the Bharata battle chronology ,rather
than the  other way round.
rajesh kochhar
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Prof Rajesh Kochhar
Director
National Institute of Science, Technology and Development Studies
Pusa Gate , K S Krishnan Marg , New Delhi 110012
ph + 91 11  5764064 / 5743227/5765380 x231   fax 5754640
hm + 91 11 576 0281
altenative email rkochhar2000 at yahoo.com
web site  http://nistads.res.in { NOTE no www}
-----Original Message-----
From: Anand M. Sharan <asharan at ENGR.MUN.CA>
To: INDOLOGY at LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK <INDOLOGY at LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK>
Date: Friday, September 22, 2000 3:12 PM
Subject: Re: Mahabharata date. Was: Iron Age in India


>In my last posting, I had indicated the drying up of the Saraswati river
>around 1700 BCE, and that the Mahabharata War took place before that based
>on the description in Mahabharata, about Balram's pilgrimage along the
>Saraswati river. I had also mentioned about Fitzgerald's work on the use of
>iron during the War. I had mentioned other instances where the use of iron
>is mentioned.
>I have read another source about dating the Mahabharata based on the
>planetary configuration. It gives the date of starting of the War on Nov.
>22, 3067 BCE ( I will try to post the details on a web site shortly -
>within a few days ) . Therefore, considering any of these sources- drying
>up of the Saraswati river,  and the planetary configuarations, one can say
>that the Iron Age in India was far older than previously believed .
>
>Thanks.
>
>Anand M. Sharan