Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c18.s5.1

v1.c18.s5.1

The historical period in India is also associated with the increasing use of iron. Carburised iron was found to be cheaper and better than bronze in making weapons and agricultural implements. Naturally the use of copper was diverted towards the other purposes. We have already mentioned about Sohagura copper plate of the Maurya period. The Sue Vihar inscription of Kaniṣka (1st century AD) and the Taxila plates are also amongst the earliest of copper plates in India. Vincent Smith referred to a set of 31 sheets of copper used for writing copper inscriptions in South India. The tradition of inscribing on tāmrapatra (copper sheet) survived in India till the nineteenth century. Making copper wire had been an ancient tradition. Mitathal yielded a copper wire (98.57 per cent copper 1.13 per cent iron) from the Sothi-Harappan level. It is rectangular in cross-section and 2 mm in thickness. Taxila also produced wires for musical instruments. Copper and bronze mirrors were found in Taxila, Rairh, Basarh, Brahmapuri and many other sites corresponding to the period 200 BC-AD 200. (Margabandhu, 1974) From the Vedic references it is presumed that copper mirrors were produced and used even in the earlier eras.