Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c26.s5.11

v1.c26.s5.11

The Rasaśāstra texts initiated in the seventh century AD were related to the medicines of vegetable origin and those made out of metallic salts. These texts described smelting of metals and preparation of metallic oxides. The detailed references to the reduction of zinc ore and distillation of zinc metal, which were made in the thirteenth century AD Rasasāstra texts and fourteenth century AD text Rasaratnasamuccaya, shall be presented in the chapters 8 and 9 respectively of our Vol. II. It is significant that there was a spurt of smelting activity in the Zawar area around thirteenth century AD, and we would now present the newly discovered details of the ancient zinc distillation practices in Zawar.