Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c22.s7.8

v1.c22.s7.8

Evidently the Indians in this locality (Taxila), and at this period (first century AD), quite deliberately made high carbon steel. But apparently they did not know how to harden and temper. If they had, the two swords, specimens 1 and 2, and the adze (No. 5) would be just the articles to apply this treatment to. The micro gives no indication of anything more than the ordinary heating for forging, and of course the hardness is only ordinary.