Publisher's Synopsis
Archaeological survey and excavation at three major mining and metal production sites in the Aravalli Hills of Rajasthan (Agucha, Dariba and Zawar), well away from the Graeco-Roman world, shed light on the long-term development of mining and smelting activity over 3000 years. Zinc was and still is the principal metal extracted together with minor amounts of lead and silver. The first production of zinc on an industrial scale anywhere in the world - by advanced processes of high temperature distillation - was discovered at Zawar. This led the authors to study the silver production at Dariba and Aguch, further evidence of major and complex industrial enterprises taking place well outside the Eurocentric Middle East.
