Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v2.c38.s2.2

v2.c38.s2.2

Agni or fire has been described as the cradle of (metallic) gems: ratnadhātamam (1.1.1). Here quite evidently, ratna or gem stands for metallic gems like gold and silver. These two metals and also copper have been known to exist in the native or metallic state. It is quite likely that man obtained these three metals in the chalcolithic age solely by melting the ore, using fire and some kind of furnace. At a later stage, copper ores (sulphide or oxide) were smelted or reduced to the metallic state by using fuel-wood or atas, the carbonaceous matter in it serving as the fuel as well as the reductant.