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Kanungo, Alok Kumar
- Ancient Indian Glass
Abstract Views :247 |
PDF Views:83
Authors
Affiliations
1 Archaeological Sciences Centre, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Palaj, Gandhinagar 382 355, IN
2 Department of Anthropology, University of Chicago, 1126 E 59th St, Chicago, IL 60637, US
1 Archaeological Sciences Centre, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Palaj, Gandhinagar 382 355, IN
2 Department of Anthropology, University of Chicago, 1126 E 59th St, Chicago, IL 60637, US
Source
Current Science, Vol 117, No 3 (2019), Pagination: 355-358Abstract
The Archaeological Sciences Centre at the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN) has pursued a programme of organizing ‘History, Science and Technology’ workshops that focus upon a selected archaeological artifact class or material. The aim of these events has been to expose a selected group of students with an acute sense of specific problems and opportunities that are involved in the study of that material. This has taken shape in the motivation to host a conversation between the leading experts of the field, and equally to provide hands-on training in the ethnoarchaeological, experimental and scientific prospects of that particular field of archaeological research.Full Text
References
- Kanungo, A. K. (ed.), Stone Beads of South and Southeast Asia: Archaeology, Ethnography and Global Connections, Aryan Books International, New Delhi; IITGN, Gandhinagar, 2017.
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- Ancient High-Carbon Steel from Southern Tamil Nadu, India: Microstructural and Elemental Analysis
Abstract Views :278 |
PDF Views:110
Authors
Affiliations
1 Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Palaj, Gandhinagar 382 355, IN
2 Department of Maritime History and Marine Archaeology, Tamil University, Thanjavur 613 010, IN
1 Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Palaj, Gandhinagar 382 355, IN
2 Department of Maritime History and Marine Archaeology, Tamil University, Thanjavur 613 010, IN
Source
Current Science, Vol 121, No 2 (2021), Pagination: 239-247Abstract
There have been claims of early use of high-carbon steel in South India. Still, the antiquity, elemental composition and steelmaking process have not been explored adequately. The high carbon steel was known in the Iron Age or early historical period. However, the large-scale use of such steel was prevalent only in the medieval times. This article examines the presence of steel and its metallographic features in the iron artifacts retrieved from two archaeological sites, namely Ambal and Vallam, Tamil Nadu, India, with occupational evidence from the Iron Age to the medieval period through a number of scientific tests. Metallographic as well as mechanical tests were performed to identify the morphology and measure the strength respectively. Similarly, the chemical composition was determined to quantify the alloying elements in the material. The slag was exposed on the etched surface of the sample cut from axe. Microscopy and chemical composition analysis showed very fine bright dendrites of wüstite in the iron slag. The deterioration of samples was confirmed in microscopic and composition analysis. The result shows that the inhabitants of ancient Ambal and the Vallam were equipped with iron smelting technology and had the knowledge of steelmaking in the Iron Age.Keywords
Chemical Composition, High-Carbon Steel, Iron Slag, Mechanical Test, Microstructure.Full Text
References
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- Iron Technology in Medieval Kerala : Archaeometallurgical Studies on Iron Artefacts from Triprangode
Abstract Views :104 |
PDF Views:54
Authors
Mo Rizwan Ahmad Qureshi
1,
Nishkarsh Srivastava
1,
Alok Kumar Kanungo
2,
Amit Arora
1,
K. Krishna Raj
3
Affiliations
1 Indian Institute of Technology, Palaj, Gandhinagar 382 055, IN
2 College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide 5001, AU
3 Pazhassiraja Archaeological Museum, East Hill, Kozhikode 673 005, IN
1 Indian Institute of Technology, Palaj, Gandhinagar 382 055, IN
2 College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide 5001, AU
3 Pazhassiraja Archaeological Museum, East Hill, Kozhikode 673 005, IN
Source
Current Science, Vol 124, No 3 (2023), Pagination: 333-339Abstract
Iron was a new entrant and a must in weaponry in the 2nd and 1st millennium BCE. There is every possibility of iron being used for generations, and deposited or hidden it for use in the times of need or even as a part of religious activities. Dating iron has been mostly based on the associated finds, and iron has been repeatedly melted, shaped and reused. Differentiating the iron in use at present from that in earlier times has been a challenge, and requires the dating of artefacts. Chemical objects characterization is contextual-specific. Three iron objects recovered from a cave near Triprangode, Kerala, India was studied using various analytical techniques to understand the metallurgical characteristics such as microstructure, phases, inclusions and production technology. The artefact was also dated using accelerator mass spectroscopy (AMS). The three artefacts included two swords and a tripod, which were reported to belong to the 1st millennium bce based on associated pottery finds and typological comparison. Optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy techniques were employed for microstructure analysis. X-ray fluorescence analysis was used to identify the elements present in the samples. X-ray diffraction and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analyses were performed to identify the phases present in the samples. AMS radiocarbon dating was carried out to determine the age of the artefacts. A combination of these techniques helped identify the iron-making process.Keywords
Archaeometallurgical Studies, AMS Dating, Iron Artefacts, Medieval Period, Microstructure.Full Text
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