Iron in Ancient India c6.s4.13

c6.s4.13

The analysis shows that the metal was pure wrought iron having no manganese, "a somewhat special point, as wrought iron usually contains manganese." The low proportion of sulphur shows that the fuel employed must have been charcoal and that the ores must also have been pure. It will be explained later on that probably "high phosphorus and low sulphur and manganese" have contributed to the capacity of the iron in resisting the rusting influence of rain and wind for full fifteen centuries.