Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c19.s5.t4: Copper Objects
Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c19.s5.t4
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Copper Objects
v1.c19.s5.t4.1
In all, twenty-two copper objects have been recovered from the different levels of Period III. It appears that the introduction of iron, which was the most suitable metal for arms and implements, drastically reduced the use of copper. Its use was now more specialised, it serving as the material chiefly for ornaments, toilet-goods, decorative objects, kitchen-utensils, and the like. More than half the items recovered were found in badly damaged conditions. However, these offered good evidence of the copper-smith’s craft. The fragment of a copper dish is particularly worth mentioning. The presence of fish-hooks show that the fish, bivalve, etc. formed part of the diet. Other copper items include rings, antimony rods, bangles, clamps, antimony rod-cum-nail parers, a pin and a celt. (Gaur, 1983: 230-32)
v1.c19.s5.t4.2
Analysis of four copper objects are presented in Table 11.3.
v1.c19.s5.t4.3
The analysis of Sample No. 2 shows that the copper was almost without any deliberate alloying. The presence of iron, tin, lead and aluminium is evidently on account of impurities coming from the ore. No arsenic or antimony could be detected. On the other hand, Sample No. 1 showed the inclusions of tin to the extent of 11.68 per cent and lead and zinc 9.00 per cent and 6.28 per cent respectively.
v1.c19.s5.t4.4
Table 11.3
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Chemical Analysis of Copper Objects from Atrañjikhera
v1.c19.s5.t4.6
| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Cu | 70.99 | 97.33 | 52.42 | 71.6 |
| Sn | 11.68 | 0.49 | 20.72 | 12.9 |
| Pb | 9.00 | 0.57 | 9.77 | Tr. |
| Zn | 6.28 | — | 16.20 | Tr. |
| Fe₂O₃ | 1.93 | 1.34 | 1.23 | 9.7 |
| Al₂O₃ | 0.18 | 0.15 | 0.01 | — |
| MnO₂ | — | — | — | — |
| Ni | — | — | — | — |
| Co | — | — | — | — |
| As | — | — | — | — |
| Sb | — | — | — | — |
| CaO | — | — | — | — |
| MgO | Tr. | — | — | — |
| S | 0.12 | — | 0.08 | 0.3 |
| Total | 100.18 | 99.88 | 100.43 | 94.5 |
v1.c19.s5.t4.7
The result of the analysis of Sample No. 3 was very curious inasmuch as it contained a very high amount of tin (20.72 %) and also zinc which is 16.20 per cent. There is no arsenic or antimony detected in this sample. These figures indicate heavy alloying with tin and use of zinc ore.
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It is found that sulphur is present in Sample Nos. 1, 3 and 4 although not in appreciable quantities. The probability is that a sulphide ore was used in smelting copper. Since iron is present in all the four samples, (in three of them ranging between 1.23 per cent and 1.93 per cent and in the fourth to the extent of 9.7 per cent), the sources could be the iron-bearing chalcopyrites. Normally iron is removed at the time of smelting. However, if the process of melting is not thorough, the product would contain a higher percentage of iron as in the case of Sample No. 4. (Gaur 1983, 483-90) The copper samples might have come from Ahar.