History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c12.s1.t1.2

v1.c12.s1.t1.2

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.