Iron in Ancient India c8.s1.12

c8.s1.12

The rationale of the process is as follows:—Only the richest ores of iron are employed, and the fuel as well as the reducing agent is charcoal. The blast furnace consists of a hearth with a circular shaft or chimney from 2 to 6 feet high and 2 to 3 feet broad, and the blast is admitted with a hand-bellows through a hole. As charcoal is a much purer form of carbon than coal the iron produced by heating the ores with charcoal is exceedingly pure. No flux seems to have been used as only pure ores were employed, though Dr. Verchere testifies that in Wariristan a flux of limestone is added even at the present day. The malleable iron thus obtained directly from the ores is hammered in the hot condition in order to make the iron solid and homogeneous. The iron slag during the process of heating is tapped off from time to time through another hole or tuyere, and the adhering portion of it is squeezed out during the hammering. The iron seems to have been obtained as lumps and not in the molten condition.