History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c12.s1.t5: Lead, Zinc and Silver Mining
History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c12.s1.t5
- Language
- English
Lead, Zinc and Silver Mining
v1.c12.s1.t5.1
Lead, zinc and silver mining has been done in India from ancient times. Table 1 gives the radio-carbon dates in years before present (b.p.) for remains found associated with mining and smelting at Rajpura Dariba, Rampura-Agucha, Zawar Table 1- Radio-carbon dates in years (before the present) for remains found associated with ancient mining and smelting of lead-zinc- Silver.
v1.c12.s1.t5.2
(After Paliwal, Gurjar and Craddock 1986)
v1.c12.s1.t5.3
| Sample Description | Date (bp) identification |
| DARIBA | |
| East Lode 4m to 5m depth, wood sample | 2215 ± 85 Acacia sp. |
| South Lode 100 m depth, timber support | 3040 ± 150 Aogeissus sp. |
| East lode 100 m, timber support | 2365 ± 85 Bamboo |
| South Lode 100 m depth rope | 2100 ± 280 ____ |
| AGUCHA | |
| Wood support from 30 m depthM 2240 ± 60 Terminalia sp | 2240 ± 280 ____ |
| ZAWAR | |
| Balaria mine 10 west stope 1st level 415 MRL timber | 170 ± 50 Terminalia sp. |
| Mochia Mine | 2360 ± 50 Terminalia sp. |
| Zawar Mala mine | 2410 ± 100 ____ |
| Timber from Launder | 1920 ± 50 ____ |
| Timber from Scaffold | 2120 ± 60 ____ |
| Zinc smelting site charcoal | 230 ± 60 Artocarpus sp. |
| Base of debris heap in old Zawar site charcoal | 80 ± 60 ____ |
| INGALDHAL, Karnataka | |
| Copper mine 30 m to 40 m depth, wood | 1810 ± 35 |
v1.c12.s1.t5.4
(Rajasthan) and Ingaldhal (Karnataka). Radio carbon dating of mine timber and charcoal shows that large scale mining took place between 3000 years (late Chalcolithic - early Iron Age in India) and 1800 years ago to a maximum depth of 254m for lead, silver and zinc with a further phase for zinc at Zawar and lead and copper at Rajpura- Dariba from the 13th century to late 18th century. (Paliwal, Gurjar, Craddock, 1986). Investigations of the mines at Zawar show that about 2200 years ago sphalerite production took place at Zawar though it would have then been roasted to oxide and combined with copper to make brass by the cementation process rather than via the metal (Willies, 1987).
v1.c12.s1.t5.5
Fig.6 shows the locations where evidences of large scale ancient mining of lead, zinc and silver have been discovered and have been described by many authors including Willies (1984, 1987), Paliwal, Gurjar and Craddock (1986), Craddock, Freestone, Gujrar, Hegde and Sonawane (1985). Also Hindustan Zinc Limited in [Figure: SCALE 1:5000000 100 0 200 400 km RAMPURA AGUCHA RAJPURA DARIB DERI ZAWAR AMBAMATA]
v1.c12.s1.t5.6
Fig.6. Sites of ancient Lead, Zinc and Silver mines their leaflets and publication have given information on the history of mining and smelting at Zawar, Rajpura-Dariba, Rampura-Agucha,etc. Radio carbon dating of the remains of wooden stairways, haulage scaffolds, stagings and other artefacts retrieved from the ancient mines indicate that lead-zinc mining existed as far back as 500 B.C.
v1.c12.s1.t5.7
The rocks of Zawar area constitute a part of the Precambrian Aravali system and include and assemblage of low grade metamorphosed calcareous, arnaceous and agrillaceous sediments. Dolomite which is the principal host for lead and zinc is sharply inclined into steep ridges above the valley bottom. All the dolomite ridges are extensively honey-combed with ancient workings which follow the plunge of the orebody downward from the outcrop for several hundred metres with no access from the valley side.
v1.c12.s1.t5.8
The remains of wooden stairways, incline haulage scaffolds, staging and dainage leats survive in the Zawarmala mine. Samples taken here for carbon-14 dating from a haulage scaffold and a drainage leat reveal that these are 2000 years old (Table 1).
v1.c12.s1.t5.9
At Rajpura-Dariba ancient mines in the form of vertical shafts, inclines, underground galleries, underground open stopes and open trenches are found scattered all along the strike of lead-zinc orebody. Radio-carbon of pieces of mine timber, rope and bamboo basket from the ancient workings here indicates that these mines were in production approximately 3000 years ago. A piece of lead metal recovered from the slag dump was found to contain 97.5% lead and 150 ppm silver indicating thereby that the smelting technology was advanced.
v1.c12.s1.t5.10
At Rampura-Agucha the ancient mine workings are preferentially located at the northern limit and the hangingwall of the deposit. A piece of wood from the mine workings has been carbon-dated at 2240 years before present (b.p.). Analysis of some of the slag samples suggests that zinc or zinc oxide was being deliberately produced here 2000 years ago.
v1.c12.s1.t5.11
In his paper entitled ‘Ancient Zinc-Lead-Silver mining in Rajasthan, India’, Willies (1987) has given detailed description of ancient mines at Zawar, Rajpura-Dariba and Rampura-Agucha which is summarised below: