The book is reissued under the Universities Press–IIM series in Metallurgy and Materials Science. A fascinating history of India’s legendary high-grade steel—wootz steel—which was highly prized and much sought after across the world for over two millennia. Wootz steel was used to make the fabled Damascus blades.
Although Indian wootz steel was such an important material in the metallurgical history of mankind, there are no books devoted to Indian contributions. First brought out by Tata Steel in November 2004 as a celebration of the twin centenaries of J N Tata and J R D Tata, the book has been widely acclaimed. It is both scholarly as well as highly readable at the level of popular archaeo-science.
sharada srinivasan is Professor at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore. She has a PhD in Archaeometallurgy from University College, London. She is a Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and recipient of the Indian Institute of Metals Certificate of Excellence in 2007 for her inter-disciplinary contribitions to scientific studies in the field of art, archaeology and heritage.
Dr Sharada Srinivasan has been awarded the Padma Shri on 26 January 2019.
Srinivasa Ranganathan is Professor at the Indian Institute of Science and at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore. He is internationally recognised for his contributions to physical metallurgy and materials science. He served as the Founder Chairman of the Study Group for Metallurgical Heritage of India constituted by the Indian National Academy of Engineering. He is the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Ministry of Steel, Government of India.
Foreword Foreword to 2004 edition Preface Acknowledgements About the series
Suggestions for Further Reading