Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c28.s10.3

v1.c28.s10.3

*pañcaloha* or *vartaloha* (RRS, 5. 212). This was supposed to contain copper, bronze, brass, lead and iron. Apparently the distinction between alloy and metallic element was not recognised, so the above list of five should re-read copper, tin, zinc, lead and iron. We may recall that the item No. 9 in Table 20.8 may be said to correspond to such a *pañcaloha*, but we have expressed our doubt whether iron was externally added as a separate molten phase for which special crucibles and refractories would have been necessary. In the South Indian tradition *pañcaloha* is supposed to contain copper, brass (which corresponds to zinc), tin, silver and gold. The analytical figures of the ancient South Indian icons as presented in Table 20.10 show only the first three elements and lead in some major proportions but not much of silver (exists only as a trace impurity) or gold. Microscopic amounts of silver and gold have been put into the melt before casting, to satisfy religious sentiments, but these operations have little metallurgical significance. Some of the Nepalese and Tibetan icons contained more than trace amounts of gold.