History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c12.s1.t2: Singhbhum Copper Belt
History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c12.s1.t2
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Singhbhum Copper Belt
v1.c12.s1.t2.1
In the long past a race of ancient people mined and smelted copper ores in the copper belt of Singhbhum some 2000 years ago (Dunn, 1937) which was the centre of industry and of comparatively high civilization. Names of localities like *Tama Pāhār* near *Rākhā* mines, and village called *Tamajuri* (specks of copper) point to ancient copper industry.
v1.c12.s1.t2.2
Signs of original occupation by Saraks or Lay Jains exist who are said to be responsible for copper mining in Singhbum copper belt. Ball (1869 p.172) drew attention to many signs of original occupation of the district by Saraks or Lay Jains. There are many tanks and ruins which the villagers now refer to as of Sarak origin. He came to the conclusion that it was these Saraks who were responsible for the working of the mines. According to Colonel Dalton the Jain were driven out of Singhbhum more than 2000 years ago (Dalton, 1866 p. 164). The latest period of working in Singhbhum copper belt was probably between the third and sixth century as suggested by some old copper coins of the later Kushan type found at Rakha mines by Mr. Shoyer.
v1.c12.s1.t2.3
Local legends go that the tower with three terraces found just South of Rakha Mines, which is the centre and most important part of the copper belt between Rajdah and Badia, is part of a fort situated on top of the ancient mines. This fort served as a watch-tower for the Rajah who was working the mines. Around the tower at least three terraces have been cut in the laterite. One of these terraces is 8 ft (2.4 m) wide and 3 to 4 ft (0.9 to 1.2 m) high. It is said locally that there were originally three entrances by tunnels, in the north, south and the east of the hill into a centre below the tower (Dunn, 1937).
v1.c12.s1.t2.4
Copper is recorded to have been transported down the Subarnarekha river to Piple situated at its mouth which had copper as one of its chief exports. An old road used by the Chinese is said to have existed in Emperor Ashok’s time from the Subarnarekha river east of Ghatsila to Tamluk on the Rupnarain river and the mining of this area has been credited to Chinese.
v1.c12.s1.t2.5
In ancient times workings descended up to ground water level. Almost entire copper ore was extracted except in pillars for support of walls (which indicates considerable skills, patience and large manual labour). Timbering was not done except for holding in place broken schists separated by greasy partings. Dunn (1937) writes “One of the stopes at the south end of No 1 level, Mosaboni broke through into an ancient working, about 60 feet (vertically) from surface. The working is about 4 feet wide across the lode but extended for only a short distance along it, as this point was, of course, the bottom of ancient workings. After breaking through, old rotten timber was found, fragments 5 to 6 inches in diameter. Timbering was not a usual practice of ancients, pillars being left to hold up the hanging wall. At this place the hangingwall was very broken, slabs of schists being separated by greasy partings and timber was probably used to hold up such loose slabs”.
v1.c12.s1.t2.6
Occasionally tools and utensils of soapstone and pottery have been found in workings. Stone implements of ore-grinding have been found quite close to mines and are relics from an older age. The great extent of workings indicates the work of several centuries with the type of stone tools used for dealing with and excavating the hard rock encountered in many of these lodes and it is quite likely that the working was intermittent due to unstable working nature of those times.
v1.c12.s1.t2.7
The workings are approached by adits driven in the hill side. The adits are 3ft (1.8 m) × 3ft to 8ft (1.8 to 2.6m) × 4ft (1.2m) in dimensions. The ore worked is sulphide but sometimes oxide have been worked which have extended down into sulphides.
v1.c12.s1.t2.8
The stope width was 4 ft (1.2 m) and when timbering was done the timbers were 5-6 inches (12.70-15.24 cm) in diameter. Similar type of primitive mining was done by Nepalese miners in the nineteenth century as reported by Bose. (Bose, P.N, 1891).
v1.c12.s1.t2.9
These miners extracted the vein stone by chisel and hammer to a maximum depth of 60ft (18m) which is the water level. The ore extracted was copper pyrites with copper contents of 20.31%. Drives were 4ft (1.2m) high × 3ft (1.8 m) wide. Chips of bamboo were used as lights. For grinding, the ore was placed on a flat rock, then broken and ground by a small flat stone which was shaped in such a way as to fit the hand comfortably.
v1.c12.s1.t2.10
The smelting was done with charcoal. Ancient furnaces in the vicinity of slag heaps show that these were always made of clay with clay tuyeres. The slag heaps cover a long area between Rakha mines and Roam and have variable depths up to 1.8 m. A typical analysis of slag near Mosaboni contains only 0.26% copper which is as good as can be obtained from modern smelters.