Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c14.s2.t7: Gold
Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c14.s2.t7
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Gold
v1.c14.s2.t7.1
Apart from a large number of micro-beads of gold used in the necklaces, Lothal has yielded 110 gold objects of various sizes. The variety of objects used and the artistic skill of the jewellers are evident from the personal ornaments found at Lothal. (Rao, 632)
v1.c14.s2.t7.2
Thin foils and beads of gold found at Lothal suggest that sheet-metal was beaten into foils. Casting was also widely practised. The goldsmiths must have possessed adequate skill and knowledge of metallurgy. Joining was done either by sweating or soldering. In the case of beads the midrib concealed the joints. Controlled heating was also applied for joining. The use of copper as an alloy for soldering between the spirals of coiled gold rings clearly suggest the use of an alloy. Conical objects and rings of gold were joined by sweating.
v1.c14.s2.t7.3
Thus the high degree of precision, uniformity and control noticed in fashioning gold jewellery reveal a mastery over the technique comparable only with that of Sumer. The minute barrel-shaped and circular beads reveal the unerring control, the jewellers had in fashioning minute objects. An example of expertise in applied decoration is seen in jasper beads bordered with a gold cap at both the ends. The great economy excercised in using the precious metal is attested by the process of laying thin foils of gold over lac, as is even now the practice in India. Hollow-cones or conical caps of varying sizes in gold were found at Lothal. Another important find from Lothal is a gold-ring with a corrugated surface produced from a gold-sheet. (Rao, 633-34)
v1.c14.s2.t7.4
The analysis of the gold from Lothal has revealed that a natural alloy, electrum, with a high percentage of silver and free from lead, was used by the goldsmiths in making pendants and other ornaments. After the analysis it has been proved that alluvial gold was not used by the Lothal folk.
v1.c14.s2.t7.5
About the source of gold it is believed that the Neolithic folk of South India had worked on the gold-bearing deposits and their contact with the Harappans might have resulted in the trade in gold, steatite and other products of the mineral-rich areas. An important evidence in favour of the theory of the Neolithic folk working near the gold mines in Kolar area is the occurrence of the burnished grey ware and the black- and red-ware in North Arcot district of Tamil Nadu situated 40 miles away from Kolar Gold-mining area and about 50 miles from the ancient workings near Hosur in Tamil Nadu. Tekkalakotta and Piklihal have also yielded burnished grey ware along with gold objects. Mention has already been made of other evidences of contact such as steatite disc beads and carnelian beads characteristic of Harappan settlements occurring in the Neolithic sites. (Rao, 632-33)
v1.c14.s2.t7.6
The earliest datable evidence from the Hutti mines is Carbon-14 date for the wood specimen, bp. 1890 ± 70 years. Allchin confirmed that the shaft was worked as deep as 250 ft in the opening years of the Christian era. There were evidences of fire-setting, crushing and rubbing of the rock prior to extraction of gold.