History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c12.1

v1.c12.1

The history of mining and use of minerals may be traced from about 4000 B.C. onwards (Sharma and Sinha, 1967, Sharma, 1970). In the Pre-Harappan period evidence of earliest settlements of agricultural communities in the mountainous and desert areas of the country is found. Copper axes and other articles like copper mirrors have been found which were made by hammering, cutting and rolling of the copper metals extracted at about 700-800 C from copper ore probably obtained from Baluchistan.