Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c26.s8.3

v1.c26.s8.3

Questions have been raised as to whether zinc was known as a separate metal and ‘consciously’ used as a constituent of brass in ancient India; we have satisfactorily met these questions with affirmative answer. (Biswas *et al.*, 1990: 53-56 and 65) We re-emphasize the two major points made in this regard: (1) the fourth century BC brass vase of Taxila assaying 34.34 per cent zinc could be made only by mixing (with copper) the separately distilled product of zinc, and not by the cementation process; (2) the text *Rasaratnākara* of Nāgārjuna citing (1.31-32) the reduction-distillation of calamine yielding zinc metal with ‘an essence of the appearance of tin’ refers to the second (and not seventh) century AD tradition in India.