Ötzi man is in news again. (Ötzi was the oldest well-preserved
remains of a man found on the highs of Alps and dated at around 3300 BCE wikipedia article). (As a
disclaimer, let me say at the outset that this article is not about the migration
of Otzi man).
After a recent discovery of the presence of the
Indian- origin H.pylori bacterium in his stomach, establishing his ancestral origins
in India (Subash
Kak's article), now comes a research
finding that says that the copper for his axe came from Tuscany in Italy.
The name Tuscany induces interest for two reasons:
(1) The presence of a specific subclade of mtDNA U,
namely U1a is found only in Tuscany and also in Kerala in India.
(2) The once thriving of Urnfield culture in
the same region of Tuscany at Veii of
Villanovan
settlements having parallels to Vel people
who migrated from Dwaraka to Tamil lands at the end of Harappan culture (around
1500 BCE). Kerala and its adjoining regions in Tamilnadu and Karnataka housed
these people. There even existed a region called “VeNadu”
(Vel Nadu – meaning land of Vels) somewhere here in the later period of Sangam age.
Urnfield culture rings a familiarity with Indians, particularly
those in Tamilnadu, as it refers to the deposition of ashes and bones after
cremation in an urn and burying it underground. Such burials have been found in
Adicchanallur
and Sembian Kandiyur in Tamilnadu and were mentioned in many Sangma age
poems.
This practice of collecting incinerated bones and
ashes in pots is Vedic in origin as the very process of collection of the ashes
and bones is done to the uttering of Veda mantras. The only difference is that
the pots are disposed in running waters along with the collected items – here again
guided by the Veda mantras.
A practice which is entirely Vedic in origin and
present in India made its appearance in Tuscany and some other regions of
western and central Europe that once had Celtic presence. The duration of this
practice in these regions was between 1300 BC – 750 BCE. The period 1300
BCE roughly coincides with the end of Harappan civilization when Vel people of
Dwaraka migrated to Tamil lands. A similar Urn culture appearing in Tuscany and
West Europe around the same time gives rise to an opinion that another group of
people of the same Harappan region having the same cultural habit had left for
Europe and Tuscany in Italy.
Extent of Urnfield culture 1300 BCE – 750 BCE
The Ötzi man’s copper axe made of copper from
Tuscany gives more hints on links with Tuscany for Harappan people of Dwaraka.
Ötzi man’s copper axe.
The date of Ötzi man is older than the period of Urn
culture by nearly two millennia. What is of interest is the discovery that
copper was mined in Tuscany as early as 5000 years BP. This date rings a familiarity
to us, as that was when the mature phase of Harappan culture started with a
sudden hike in commercial trade with Central Asia and Europe.
In the absence of evidence of manufacture of copper
items in Tuscany at that period, the Ötzi man’s copper axe must have been made
in another place. As of today there is no clue on the region where it was
produced. At the present level of available records, Gola Dhoro, a Harappan site
in the Kutch region of Gujarat stands a better chance to fit in.
The date of Gola Dhoro (2500 – 2000 BCE) is behind Ötzi
man’s time by nearly 800 years. But there is scope to believe that Gola Dhoro
existed much before the currently dated period. At the time of its end, Gola
Dhoro was a shell and gem artefact factory.
Heaps of unused shells and half cut shells are found
in that site.
But this site also has items made of copper. Copper
axes, spear heads and the like are found in this site leading to a conjecture that
commercial production of copper items must have existed here before it became a
shell factory.
Copper items unearthed in Gola Dhoro.
Copper axe of Ötzi man
It remains to be seen if the copper axe of Otzi man
has any similarities with Harappan copper tools.
Even in the absence of a research on establishing the
origin of this axe to a Harappan site, there is room to believe that Harappan
manufacturers of copper goods must have had knowledge of copper mining regions
from where they received their supply of copper.
Copper works must have been at its advanced stage
even as early as 5000 years ago known from the reference to copper-walls around
Krishna’s city of Dwaraka in Tamil Sangam poems. So the manufacturers of Kutch region must have
had a good knowledge of copper mines of Europe and could have even visited those
places out of professional interest.
The copper walls around Dwaraka mentioned by Sangam
poets must have been in effect copper plated walls. The ruins at Bet Dwaraka caused by
upsurge of sea water belonged to the period that saw the end of Harappan
culture. That was around 1500 BCE. It was at that time, 18 clans of royalty connected
with Krishna’s family and 18 groups of different types of artisans who
originally belonged to the regions around the Ganges (who moved over to Dwaraka
along with Krishna) made a migration to Tamil lands. A major group among them
were experts in pottery! Potters were known as VeLs in Tamil.
Evidence of Vel Migration on the route
to South.
The presence and migration of Vels from Gujarat
(Gurjara) to south is established from the names of places in and around Gujarat
and also on their route to the South. For example Ellora
was one of the Vel settlements which is known from its name mentioned as
“Velur” or Veluragam” in the inscriptions.
Sholapur was originally “Velapur”.
Similar names with “Vel” or “Vela” are found on Maharashtra.
Coming further south, Belgaum
was known as “Vel Gramam” in inscriptions.
Belhutti was “Vel patti”
according some researchers. More of this information has been given by Mu. Raghava Iyengar in his book “Velir Varalaru” written a century ago.
Each of the 18 groups of artisans was engaged in a
different kind of art or metal work. They brought everything from stone works
(both building and inscribing) to pottery and copper works to gold smithy. Tamilnadu
was enriched by these artisans only.
The urn culture of burying the pots underground is associated
with Vels only. Earlier also potters had existed in Tamilnadu, but the huge
burial pots made their appearance only with the arrival of Vel people. Until
then urn pots must have been smaller in size and disposal of them was by
throwing them into water as is done by Tamil Brahmins even today.
Urnfield culture of Tuscany and Europe.
The appearance of urn culture around the same time
in Tuscany and spreading to adjacent regions could not have been a mere
coincidence. When Dwaraka (Bet Dwaraka) suffered ruins, the people had left the
city as had happened when Krishna left
the world 5000 years ago. A part of them had come to South India. Another group
of them must have gone to Tuscany.
This could have happened only if those people have
had some prior connection or familiarity with Tuscany. Such a connection is
seen in the trade links with Tuscany from where they received their copper
resources. There was a greater chance of the copper workers having made their
destination to Tuscany as that could ensure continuing their profession there. They
had taken along with them the Vedic practice of cremation and collecting the incinerated
bones in pots. This required them to take along with them the ‘Vel’s, the
potters!
The name of a town as Veii having phonetic resemblance
to Vel with the Urn culture in that region gives an indication of a migration
from Gujarat region of the Harappan culture which was very much Vedic in
essence.
Veii s
culture resembled everything that one can associate with the coastal people of
Dwaraka. An interesting element in their culture is their patron Goddess Juno. She was the
Goddess of prosperity and fertility and many more added after she was adopted by Roman culture. But
her origin is traced to Veii people and this brings it back to Vedic concepts. That
concept was none other than that of Lakshmi, the Goddess of prosperity and wealth in Vedic society. To understand this link, the concept of how
Lakshmi got connected with Kardama is discussed below.
Lakshmi, the daughter of Kardama
Lakshmi is a popular Goddess of Vedic religion.
There is hymn dedicated to her in Rig Veda. Known as Sri
Sooktham it says that Lakshmi or Sri is the daughter of Kardama rishi.
Who was Kardama?
Sages had always given the concepts in amazing forms
of riddles and stories and based on the etymology we have to unlock them. The story
of Kardama is one such thing.
The very personification of Kardama can be best
understood from Valmiki Ramayana and further
unlocked from Srimad Bhagavatha.
In chapter 3-14 of Valmiki Ramayana, Rama meets
Jatayu, the eagle on the way. Jatayu tells Rama about his identity by tracing
the very creation of all beings from the beginning. An analysis of this
description by Jatayu shows a remarkable concept of how mankind evolved with
its works.
The first creation was Kardama.
Kardama means mud. This refers to the land we stand and also the availability
of mud as a means for the betterment of man’s life.
The 2nd creation was Sesha. Though it means the left-over, it refers to
snakes.
The 3rd creation was Samshraya. It means residence or a dwelling place.
Snakes make holes in the mud (ground) and make their living. It is from snakes,
man perhaps learned to make dwelling places. Earliest dwellings were supposed to
be subterranean. Such dwellings are found in Mehrgarh dated at 9000 years BP.
Then came Sthanu, the
4th creation. Sthanu means firm or immovable. Man came to live in permanent
dwellings.
The 5th one was MarIchi.
MarIchi means ray of light or just ray. Perhaps this refers to harnessing light
or making fire.
The 6th creation is Atri. Atri means the devourer. Perhaps this refers to
the losses suffered as is known from the next creation.
The 7th creation was Kratu. It means sacrifice. Perhaps this refers to
conceiving the idea of Almighty, an unseen power that can protect man. This
idea could have come only when man suffered losses beyond his control. So Atri
(previous one) as devourer makes sense. When mankind,after settling down
suffered losses, the prayer to an unseen power sprang up.
The 8th creation was Pulasthya, the name associated with birth of demons.
Perhaps with knowledge of the Almighty and ways to tap its benefits, man became
arrogant. The case of Hiranyakashipu
is a good example to relate with.
The 9th creation was Angira. He stands for Agni – of the kind used for
yajnas.
The 10th creation was Pracheta. This word means clever and wise. By now man
has become clever, in tapping material and Godly benefits.
The last 4 are mankind-proper that indicates birth of man as thinking and civilised person.
Of them Kashyapa was the progenitor of mankind. Even
now, if someone does not know the gotra, the priests in the temple would
mention Kashyapa as one’s gotra and do puja in their name for the deity.
The basic components or stages of growth and maturity
of mankind are explained through these names.
Then came the daughters. They were married to these
men mentioned above. Kashyapa married 8 daughters of Daksha according to Jatayu
in that narration. It refers to the various genetic traits (mtDNA perhaps) that
gave rise to diversified growth of mankind.
For this article, I am confining myself with the
issues connected with Vel, the potter.
Lakshmi was Kardama’s daughter. Kardama refers to
the mud and objects connected with mud. Lakshmi as daughter of Kardama refers
to the wealth and prosperity that man could make from mud. The first houses were
made of mud only. That was the first level of betterment in man’s life. That is
why Lakshmi is connected with Kardama from the very basic level.
Kardama had another daughter called “Shraddha” which means effort.
Shraddha was married to Angiras,
the agni. With sharadha when man works with mud (kardama) and fire (Angira),
the result is a pot!
After learning to make pots, which was the first innovation and industry of mankind, man became
prosperous. The pot became an inevitable object for everything from birth to
death and kitchen to Yajna. The increase in his standard of living was
therefore attributed to the daughter of Kardama, Lakshmi.
Juno of Veii people has all the trappings
of Lakshmi.
The group that left Dwaraka / Kutch region on the
wake of loss of habitat around 1500 BC found a home in Tuscany where copper
workers found a new lease of life. {Conditions were no longer available to get
copper imports in their previous abodes in Harappan sites. This forced them to
move to regions where copper was available}.
With them went the potters and their Goddess. Due to
lack of contact with ancestral culture, the newly established culture in
Tuscany underwent changes with successive generations. Their memories faded but
their habits and allegiance to their Goddess continued with modifications.
With the coming of Greeks, every name and form was
altered. Today their links can be established only through genetics. The genetic
link is already established in the presence of Haplogroup U1a in Tuscany and
Kerala besides very less presence in East Europe, which only indicates the
route of this migration through East Europe.
My articles in Tamil on Kardama-
