Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c20.s3.t9.3

v1.c20.s3.t9.3

Iron ore in the form of mammiliated limonite is indeed available in the hollows of trap in the region. A little over twenty pounds of calcium carbonate was found and identified as the aragonite variety on the basis of its hardness. Lumps of calcite or aragonite crystals occur sporadically in the occupational deposits. These must have been used as flux in the smelting of iron ore to remove the siliceous gangue. The whitish powder found in the slag, presumably lime or the product of calcination of calcium carbonate, also probably served as flux.