Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c26.s6.t1.2

v1.c26.s6.t1.2

The furnaces are in two parts consisting of a zinc vapour condensation chamber at the bottom and a furnace chamber at the top. The two chambers are separated by a perforated terracotta plate. The condensation chamber measures 65 cm by 65 cm and 20 cm in height. The perforated terracotta plate that separates the two chambers is a composite unit made up of four equal segments of 35 cm². It is 4 cm thick, well-baked, and sturdy. Its perforations include circular holes of two sizes: larger ones of 4 cm diameter, each of which are surrounded by a number of smaller holes of 2.5 cm diameter. Within the furnace the composite terracotta plate was found to be supported on a ledge in the furnace walls on all four sides and a single solid terracotta pillar placed below the junction of its four segments. (Hegde et al., 1986; Hegde, 1989)