Iron in Ancient India c8.s1.17

c8.s1.17

At the Northern Circars and at Ramanakapetta the furnaces, described by Heyne, are bigger in size and semicircular in shape " very much resembling in shape the half a hen's egg divided longitudinally with the largest end uppermost." The wall is built of clay and the height 4½ feet and breadth 3 feet 9 inches. The external and convex surface has one of its sides, at the bottom, an excavation serving to receive the slag which is let out through a hole in the bottom. The mode of the construction of the inner part of the furnace is somewhat different. The ore and charcoal are used in the proportion of one to two. The iron obtained is also in the solid condition.