Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v2.c46.s1.4

v2.c46.s1.4

The post-Ṛgvedic literatures describe purification steps, sieving, winnowing, smelting in furnaces using bellows and different kinds of metals—the ornamental and barter metals of gold and silver, low melting point metals lead and tin, copper and the new metal śyāma or iron obtained through solid state carbothermic reduction. The art of forging or joining of metals was mentioned.