Iron extraction in ancient times can be traced to ancient egypt and india about 5000 to 7000 years back. Although very crude methods were used to get the metal, the entire process was under strict vigil so as to maintain the seceracy of the process. The high impact weapons that came out from the forge and foundry shops were high in demand and the artisans, well-respected!
In ancient egypt, the Hittities were known to extract iron from meteorites (they had the purest forms of iron present). The history of metal extraction in INDIA is not open and was done very seceretly. Although the modern Europe did the wonder of melting iron (it is almost 1540° C) and making steel only about 300 years ago (this was the start of the famous industrial revolution), Indians were capable of making weapons from cast (molten) metal since long! The famous "ASHOK STAMBH" ("No-Rust" iron pillar in delhi) is an example of the degree of perfection achieved in metallurgy in ancient India!
In the mordern times, we see the wonders of steel. In my next post, I'll try to focus on the mineral mining aspect. By the way, Iron is also known for its magnetic properties.
Did you know that when heated, Iron loses its magnetic properties?
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