Srinivasan, Sharada
(2016)
Indian High-Tin Bronzes and the Grecian and Persian World.
Indian Journal of History of Science, 51 (4).
pp. 601-612.
ISSN 0019-5235
| Abstract: |
This paper attempts to draw together some of the literary and archaeometallurgical evidence
pointing to cross-cultural interactions and encounters in the use and occurrence of metals and alloys in
the Indian subcontinent broadly in the 1st millennium BCE to the early common era, spanning the Iron
Age to early historic period. As is generally known, aspects of the material culture of this period shows
discernible external influences, such as from the Grecian, Hellenistic or Persian world, central Asia as
seen in some examples of statuary, coinage and jewellery and so on. However, there are other examples
which this paper aims to highlight of certain finds from the Indian context which seem to be more distinctive
to the Indian region as also corroborated by evidence and accounts from the Hellenistic world. In particular
the specialised alloy of wrought and forged high-tin beta (23%) bronze vessels provides an interesting
case study, with the author’s archaeometallurgical investigations pointing to finds from the South Indian
and peninsular Indian Iron Age of the early 1st millennium BCE (Adichanallur, Nilgiri, Mahurjhari, Taxila,
Fig. 1), ranking amongst the earliest known such vessels, as well as continuing traditions (Srinivasan and
Glover 1995, Srinivasan 2010). Some Southeast Asian examples of the latter part of the first millennium
also show Indian connections in design suggesting an Indian provenance. Sassanian examples of about
the 7th century are also known. This paper attempts to thus explore cross-cultural influences in the Indian
examples, and the ways in which high-tin bronzes seem to have eventually become part of the wider
Asian network of trade and interaction in antiquity. |
| Item Type: |
Journal Paper
|
| Additional Information: |
Copyright belongs to the author |
| Keywords: |
Adichanallur, Fluting, Hellenistic, High-tin bronze, Kerala, Megalithic, Nearchus, Nilgiris, Polishing, Quenched beta bronze, Sassanian, Surviving traditions, Taxila, Vessels |
| Subjects: |
School of Humanities > Archaeometallurgy
Programmes > Heritage Science and Society Programme |
| Divisions: |
Schools > Humanities |
| Date Deposited: |
20 Jan 2017 05:20 |
| Last Modified: |
20 Jan 2017 05:20 |
| Official URL: |
http://insa.nic.in/writereaddata/UpLoadedFiles/IJH... |
| Related URLs: |
|
| Funders: |
UNSPECIFIED |
| Projects: |
UNSPECIFIED |
| DOI: |
10.16943/ijhs/2016/v51/i4/41237 |
| URI: |
http://eprints.nias.res.in/id/eprint/1227 |
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