Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c20.s1.11

v1.c20.s1.11

Even at this stage, iron was hardly useful because wrought iron, containing very little carbon, is softer than ten per cent tin bronze which was well-known to the copper-smiths. Despite the early successes to make iron (Coghlan, 1956) in Anatolia, Mesopotamia; Egypt and Afghanistan (3000-2000 BC), also later in Crete, Cyprus (2000-1600 BC) and still later in Greece and the islands of the Eastern Mediterranean, (1600-1200 BC), the spurt and diffusion of iron technology did not take place till 1200 BC, when it became known that iron can be carburized and hardened. The discovery must have been accidental.