Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c14.s2.t1.3

v1.c14.s2.t1.3

As an industrial and trading community, the Harappans devoted more attention to the improvement of the tools needed by the carpenters. This can be inferred from production of the advanced tools such as the curved saw with teeth, the auger-bit with twisted grooves, the plainer-bit with concave margins, the needles with eyelet at the piercing or flat-end. The personal ornaments consisting of the corrugated bangle, the amulet with a crouchant bull-figure, the bird-headed pin and the pendants and rings received the special attention of the coppersmiths of Lothal. But this does not mean that they were totally ignorant of the advanced tool-types. The spearhead with a folded socket and rivet-hold found at Lothal, indicates professional sophistication. Anyhow, the technicians concentrated on the production of ornaments, figurines and tools for the craftsmen. This fact is also borne by the use of bronze for making mirrors, bangles and rings, rather than axes, chisels, daggers and spearheads. Here the production of an alloy of more pleasing colour and lustre appears to have been one of the chief considerations in using tin with copper in making ornaments. (Rao, 520-22)