Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c14.s2.t2.1

v1.c14.s2.t2.1

Not only copper, low-tin bronze was also used for making pins, mirrors, rods, chisels, flat axes, daggers and arrowheads; high-tin bronze was used for bangles and pins. The hardening property of lead was also known to the Lothal folk. They made use of this knowledge in hardening tools having sharp edges. Tin became a rare commodity in Sumer by 2700 BC until it could be had once again by 1500 BC. Sayce says that tablets from Kara Huyuk refer to tin which was a rare and precious metal in Babylon in c. 2500-2200 BC. It is perhaps during this period that bronze was being introduced in the Indus Valley and Kathiawar by the Harappan traders. Hence it had to be very sparingly used. Out of 71 copper objects from Lothal examined in four lots by Lal, the tin contents in two bangles were 11.20 per cent to 11.82 per cent. One grooved rod contained 9.02 per cent, a mirror 5.47 per cent, a pin 13.80 per cent, two chisels 9.02 to 9.62 per cent, an engraver 3.96 per cent, a spear 2.27 per cent. Thus only eight out of 71 objects may be said to have contained some appreciable quantity of tin. (Rao, 523)