2. The Dharwar System

These are the oldest metamorphosed-sedimentary rocks found in narrow geosynclines flanking the Archaean gneiss. They occur mainly in (i) Dharwar, Bellary and Hospet districts of Karnataka, (ii) the Chhotanagpur Plateau, (iii) the upper reaches of Godavari (Durg, Bastar, Dantewala, Chandrapur, etc.), and (iv) the Aravallis (Delhi, Rajasthan, and Gujarat).

It is presumed that the majority of the Dharwar rocks had escaped folding completely and had deposited into the hollows and the corrugations of landmasses or were only mildly folded. These rocks are rich in iron ore, manganese, mica, copper, zinc, lead, silver, gold, slate, asbestos, marble, and limestone.