Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c23.18

v1.c23.18

Even during the Homeric times reference is available for tin along with ivory coming from India. (Ball, 1880: 230) Ball endorses Lassen’s comment that the Greek word kassiteros was derived from kastira whereas Bevan feels (Rapson, 1921: 351) that it is the other way round. There is a similar controversy about brass — ārakūṭa in Sanskrit and oreichalkos in Greek. At any rate, these similarities (also note ibha-danta — ivory) indicate trading links between India and Greece starting from the Homeric times.