Copper in Ancient India c12.s2.1

c12.s2.1

A connected history of the metallurgical operations used in the extraction of copper is extremely difficult to make out, as the description of the processes of extraction of copper is extremely meagre in alchemical literature. It has already been pointed out that copper pyrites and copper glance were the two copper ores commonly mentioned in alchemical works and recipes have been given in these works for the extraction of copper from these ores. No furnaces, however, are described, the operations being conducted in crucibles. A few such recipes for the extraction of copper from *mākshika* and *Vimala* are given below: