Q1.
What could be the potential reason that it is generally considered that copper was discovered earlier as compared to iron?
Answer
Because copper is far easier to find and to work than iron. Three reasons together explain it.
- Copper is found in a nearly pure form in nature. Lumps of native copper can simply be picked up, and their reddish metallic shine makes them easy to notice. Iron is almost always locked up inside dull-looking rock (ore) that looks like ordinary stone.
- Copper is easier to extract and melt. It can be got out of its ore and melted in a simple wood or charcoal fire. Iron needs a much hotter furnace, with a way of blowing air in — a technology that took people a long time to invent.
- Copper is softer. It can be hammered into a pot or an ornament even when cold. Iron must be heated red hot before it will take a shape, exactly as Sudarshan uncle does.
Why it matters: once the hotter furnace was mastered, iron changed life in India. Iron ploughshares cut heavier soils than wooden or copper ones, harvests grew, and settled farming villages could support towns. The Harappans used copper and gold, but iron came into everyday use only much later.