Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c28.s8.5

v1.c28.s8.5

The historical survey of metallic icons in ancient India may be either chronological or focusing on regional variations; the best method would be a combination of the two approaches. There are many noticeable trends of the proportions of the constituent elements such as tin, lead and zinc in copper-based alloys varying with the passage of time and change of location in ancient India. These were dictated by market demands; emergence of new styles and technologies, and above all availability of the raw materials. In the studies on the said topic, one must avoid erroneous assumptions such as the one on ‘late arrival’ of zinc in ancient India. This point needs some elaboration.