Illustrations: Numerous B/w Illustrations Description: This book offers a comprehensive discussion on the distribution of ores of copper and its alloys in the Indian subcontinent and critically reviews the related archaeological and metallurgical data, underscoring the tremendous richness and complexity of this tradition in early India. Summary: This volume undertakes a detailed study of the rich and continuing preindustrial tradition of Indian copper and copper-alloy metallurgy and unequivocally brings out its significance in understanding the ancient context.

Illustrations: 4 Maps and 47 B/w Illustrations Description: This is one of the few well documented, well-researched and well-presented book on the history of mining and metallurgy in ancient India based on archaeological, literary and ethnological evidences and on first hand knowledge of various mining sites. Apart from the introduction and conclusion, this work of about 300 pages consists chapters on mineral ores in ancient India, gold, silver, copper and bronze, iron and zinc. This book also contains 4 maps and 47 illustrations.

Study of the Chalcolithic sites in India.

Most Indians believe that the Purāṇic accounts of Indian history are just figment of human imagination. They fail to explain why would thousands of people create dynastic king-lists of fictitious families consisting of thousands of names and then remember them for several millenniums. In reality they have left behind a record of their families/tribes and social. moral and religious customs. The Vedic-Purāṇic literature as well as archeological, geological, historical and linguistic accounts have been reviewed to establish ancient history of the Indian subcontinent. The chronological and geographical information related to the various cultures/tribes were established using the dates when farming, use of kiln-baked bricks or metalworking started; horses were domesticated; chariots were invented; Sarasvatī River dried up; and Mahabharata War took place.

India's history and culture is ancient and dynamic, spanning back to the beginning of human civilization. Beginning with a mysterious culture along the Indus River and in farming communities in the southern lands of India, the history of India is punctuated by constant integration with migrating peoples and with the diverse cultures that surround the country. Placed in the center of Asia, history in India is a crossroads of cultures from China to Europe, as well as the most significant Asian connection with the cultures of Africa. The Historical Dictionary of Ancient India provides information ranging from the earliest Paleolithic cultures in the Indian subcontinent to 1000 CE. The ancient history of this country is related in this book through a chronology, an introductory essay, a bibliography, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries on rulers, bureaucrats, ancient societies, religion, gods, and philosophical ideas.

Copper has been used for thousands of years. In the centuries, both handicraft and industry have taken advantage of its easy castability and remarkable ductility combined with good mechanical and corrosion resistance. Although its mechanical properties are now well known, the simple f.c.c. structure still makes copper a model material for basic studies of deformation and damage mechanism in metals. On the other hand, its increasing use in many industrial sectors stimulates the development of high-performance and high-efficiency copper-based alloys. After an introduction to classification and casting, this book presents modern techniques and trends in processing copper alloys, such as the developing of lead-free alloys and the role of severe plastic deformation in improving its tensile and fatigue strength. Finally, in a specific section, archaeometallurgy techniques are applied to ancient copper alloys. The book is addressed to engineering professionals, manufacturers and materials scientists.

This volume describes the geography and environments of Oman, its rich copper ore deposits and the ancient mining and smelting techniques, and it also includes an overview of the physical properties of the different metals exploited in antiquity and of the analytical techniques used in archaeometallurgy.

Contributed articles; includes Sanskrit text with English translation.