Copper in Ancient India c10.s3.2

c10.s3.2

It would even appear that the acquaintance of European alchemists with zinc began when it was being imported from India or at any rate from the East Indies by Dutch merchants in the 17th century, as Libavius "who was the first to investigate the properties of zinc more exactly, although he was not aware that the metal was derived from the ore known as calamine" stated "that a peculiar kind of tin is found in the East Indies called caloem. Some of this was brought to Holland and came into his hands."¹