Chalcolithic Period

The period that marked the transition from Neolithic cultures to the Bronze Age, characterised by rudimentary writing systems as well as copper metallurgy. In the case of South Asian civilisations, the period lasted from approximately 7000–3000 BCE and is also known as proto-history. The word “chalcolithic” derives from the Greek khalkos (copper) and lithos (stone), meaning “copper stone age” or “copper age.”