Iron in Ancient Tamilnadu

Abstract

The early Tamil classical literature and the works from the west like Historia Naturalis mention the export of steel from south India to the Roman Egypt and other countries in the west. The Roman literature mentions that the steel imported into Rome from peninsular India was subjected to duty in the port of Alexandria. The archaeological excavations conducted at Paiyampalli, Appukkalu and other places in NorthArcot, Dharmapuri, and Coimbatore districts established a firm datum line for the beginning of iron in Tamilnadu. The iron and steel furnaces from Kodumanal besides a cast iron foun -dry at Guttur revealed the technological skill attai- ned by the early smelters in Tamilnadu.