Iron Age Spear Excavated in Southern India

CHENNAI, INDIA—The Times of India reports that a well-preserved, eight-foot iron spear dated to some 5,300 years ago has been found in a burial at the site of Thirumalapuram, which is located in India’s southernmost state of Tamil Nadu. The spear, which is rounded at one end, is said to be the longest iron implement dated to the Iron Age to be unearthed in India. “We found two spears placed in an ‘X’ formation next to an urn,” said archaeologist K. Vasanthakumar of the Tamil Nadu state department of archaeology. “One was eight feet long and the other 6.5 feet. There were also gold objects inside the urn,” he added. The spears may have been used in battle, but it is also possible that the eight-foot spear was used as a ceremonial object reflecting the status of the person whose remains were buried in the urn, explained archaeologist R.K. Mohanty of Deccan College. To read about another discovery from Tamil Nadu, go to "India's Temple Island."