Copper in Ancient India c6.s2.8

c6.s2.8

From the consideration of the foregoing passage in the Vedas and the Brāhmans relating to copper, it appears that copper was possibly unknown to the early Aryans at the time when the Rigveda was written (circa 2000 B.C.) as it is not mentioned in it. The Rigveda, however, makes copious mention of two metals, gold and iron, in which, it is to be noted, India has been pre-eminently rich in all ages.³ As copper is mentioned once in the White Yajurveda, which was composed later than the Rigveda, it is apparent that it was known at the time when the Yajurveda was written, though from the frequent mention of copper in the Atharvaveda (1000 B.C.) and the Brāhmans it can easily be surmised that copper came into general use amongst the early Aryans at about 1000 B.C.