History of Chemistry in Ancient and Medieval India, Incorporating the History of Hindu Chemistry by Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray c15.s2.32

c15.s2.32

Many iron implements and weapons, belonging mostly to the Sunga and the Kushan periods, and a few of the Gupta period, have also been discovered in the excavations at Bangarh, already referred to. Mention may also be made here of many metallic objects, mostly of iron, found in large numbers by excavations at Taxila in 1943-45. These belong probably to the period extending from the 3rd century B.C. to the 5th century A.D. These consist mostly of household utensils, arms and armour, carpenter's and blacksmith's tools, agricultural implements, etc., besides numerous ingots of iron (Figs. 27, 27 *a*, *b*, *c*, *d*, and *e*). Iron pieces in the form of spear-head, spike and nails, found on excavation at Piprahwa in the Basti district of Uttar Pradesha, near the ruins at Kapilavastu and the frontier of Nepal, are regarded as specimens belonging to the 2nd century A.D. Iron clamps, found at the Bodh-Gaya temple (Fig. 28), and the iron slag, found on excavation of the foundation of the stupa at the same place and now preserved in the Indian Museum, Calcutta, furnish evidences regarding the knowledge of the process of manufacturing iron in ancient India as early as the 3rd century B.C.