Copper Smelting in Ancient India

Copper Smelting

The discovery of copper marks the beginning of the Chalcolithic period. Archaeological studies have unearthed a number of copper hoards, revealed copper mining activities and smelting sites in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh & Bihar. Copper-bronze technology flourished in the Indian sub-continent since Harappan period. Various ancient texts like Arthasastra and Rasaratnasamuccaya have mentioned copper mining and process of its extraction.

Researchers have pointed to the existence of ancient Indian copper furnaces capable of melting copper at 1083°c and gold at 1063°c. Chimney or bellows were used for these furnaces to provide high temperature since open fire could not yield temperature in excess 700°c.

There is fairly extensive evidence of ancient mining of copper ores from Singhana near Khetri (Rajasthan) dating to about 3rd-2nd millennium BCE. The copper ore was crushed to powder and then mixed with cow dung and made into four inches long rolls, which were dried in the sun and then roasted in open air in a fire of cow dung cakes. The ore was then transferred to the furnace, controlled by four people.

The furnace was cemented with clay and nozzles of bellows were built up in it. The bellows were worked on three sides, while on the fourth was opening of the furnace in which a plate of fire clay was placed at the lower part of which was a hole for stirring the molten metal and allowing it to flow out. Furnace was prepared daily and each smelting took about 12-14 hours. At each operation about five maunds of roasted ore was gradually introduced into the furnace and that required an equal amount of reet (iron slag) and four maunds of charcoal to smelt.

An ancient copper seal of a king

An ancient Indian art on copper sheet

All source of info : Information Centre of Science City, Kolkata, India

[To Be Continued...]

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