History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c12.s1.t1: Copper Mining

History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c12.s1.t1

Language: English

Copper Mining

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Old workings of copper mining of ancient times are found in various parts of the country e.g. Singhbhum copper belt, Bihar, Khetri Area, Rajasthan and Ambaji, Kumbaria in Gujarat (Fig.1).

Mining for copper is known in the Singhbhum copper belt since about 600 B.C. (Sarkar, 1987). Numerous ancient pits, slag heaps scattered all along the belt bear testimony to the enterprise of the miners of the past. In the western part of the country in Rajasthan copper mining was done at Khetri during the Mauryan period around circa 300 B.C. The first recorded mention of copper mining is found in the Āin I Akbarī (Ain II p.194) written during the reign of Akbar by Sheikh Abul Fazal in 1590 A.D.

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Besides Khetri, in western part of the country copper mining was done in ancient times at Ambaji, Kumbaria in Gujarat and at Deri in Rajasthan. Extensive old workings for copper, lead and zinc ores, and for by product gold and silver extend over an area of 2 sq km to the north and north west of Ambaji village in Danta Taluk of Banaskantha district, Gujarat, Another small area of ancient working for the above metal spread over an area of 0.2 sq. Km is located at Deri on Abu Road Taluk of Sirohi district, Rajasthan. Also ancient workings are found at Watera, Pipla, Golia, Basanthgarh for copper (along with zinc) at Basanthgarh north of Ambaji in Sirohi district of Rajasthan between Abu Road and Sirohi. 14C radio carbon dating of the wood samples found in the old workings and of charcoal in slag dumps indicate that the earliest mining activity falls in the second Century B.C. The other dates are in 1100, 1200 and 1500 A.D (Shekhar, 1983)

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Literary evidences also of mining of copper at Ambaji and probably at Deri come from Jain literature of 11th century and onwards. Evidence of foreign travellers who visited the country between circa 200 B.C. and 150 A.D. attest to abundance of copper in India and their export to West Asian countries through the port of Barygeza (present day Broach in Gujarat).

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SCALE 1:5 000 000 100 0 200 400 km KHETRI RAKHA MINES MOSABONI

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Fig.1. Sites of ancient copper mines in India