Sophisticated Metallurgical Skills in Ancients

“Certain achievements of the South American Indian in metallurgy are enigmatic. Ornaments of platinum, were found in Ecuador. This poses a provoking question--how could the American Indian produce the temperature- of over 1,770 degrees Celsius necessary to melt it? It should be borne in mind here that the melting of platinum in Europe was achieved only two centuries ago. In testing an alloy from a prehistoric artifact the United States Bureau of Standards ascertained that the original dwellers of America had furnaces capable of producing temperatures of 9,000 degrees Celsius 7,000 years ago. No satisfactory explanation has yet been given of how such a technical feat was possible at all at so remote a date as 5000 B.C.(Science et Vie, No 516). The tomb of the Chinese general Chow Chu (A.D. 265-316) presents a mystery. When analyzed by the spectroscope, a metal girdle showed 10 percent copper, 5 percent manganese, and 85 percent aluminum. But according to the history of science aluminum was obtained for the first time by Oersted in 1825 by a chemical method. To satisfy industrial demands, electrolysis was later introduced into the manufacturing process. Needless to say, an ornament made of aluminum, whether chemically or electrolytically, seems out of place in a third-century grave in China. It is hardly reasonable to think that this aluminum article was the only one manufactured in China. The Kutb Minar iron pillar in Delhi weighs 6 tons and is about 7.5 meters high. For fifteen centuries it has withstood the tropical sunshine of India plus the heavy downpours during the monsoons. It does not show any signs of rust formation and provides proof of the superior metallurgical skill of ancient India. Aside from the mystery of the noncorrosive metal of which the column is made, the task of forging so large a pillar could not have been achieved anywhere in the world until recent times. The production of rustproof iron of this type is possible today because of our high technology but it is surprising to find such, an achievement in AD. 415. The pillar stands as a mute Witness to the scientific tradition preserved by the people of antiquity in all parts of the world. Men whom time has forgotten held the answers to these riddles of the history of science.”

Source:We Are Not The First, by Andrew Tomas Copywrite 1971