Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c28.s9.4

v1.c28.s9.4

While lead was deliberately alloyed with copper in the ancient world, this was probably not the case in most instances for iron. The copper lumps in Mohenjo-Daro assayed 0.03-1.5 per cent iron. The iron percentages of the copper-based alloys were 0.07-1.4 in Harappa, zero to 4.0 in Lothal and 0.8-6.8 in Atrañjikhera. Metallographic and phase analysis have not been done for most of these samples to indicate whether iron exists as metallic dendrites or globules of oxide/sulphide inclusions. The Kuṣāṇa copper coins contain small amounts of iron globules. (Paramasivan, 1942; Bivar, 1987) Whereas the Sultanganj/ Birmingham Buddha (Craddock, 1981: 2), Nepalese copper and Tibetan icons show small quantities of iron, the Gujarat and South Indian icons (vide items 24 and 30 in Table 20.10) contain appreciable amounts. Some of the Nālandā icons (Table 20.8) assay higher proportions (1.3-5.8 %) of iron. Table 20.11 shows the compositions of five iron-rich copper coins from Paunar, Maharashtra state, India, dated seventh century AD. (Hegde, 1975)