History of Chemistry in Ancient and Medieval India, Incorporating the History of Hindu Chemistry by Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray c15.s2.3

c15.s2.3

A solid copper bolt, apparently shaped into form by hammer after being cast, has been found in the Rampurwa Asoka pillar near the frontier of Nepal. Historical evidences indicate that it is a product of the third century B.C. The bolt is barrel-shaped in appearance, slightly tapering at the two ends. It has a length of 24½ inches, and a circumference of 14 inches at the centre and of 12 inches at the ends (Fig. 23). The metal is pure copper and is exquisitely worked into shape. The bolt was very likely employed for fixing the large stone capital of the Asoka pillar with the body of the pillar itself. It was presented to the Indian Museum, Calcutta, by its discoverer, W. H. W. Garrick in 1881, where it is still preserved in the Archæological Section