Synopsis History of science and technology has bee a much neglected aspect of study in India, so far. In recent years an interest has been shown by scholars in different aspects of ancient technologies. The present book deals with a relatively less talked about subject of ancient mining and minerals. The book discusses at length the growth of mining technology in India through the ages. It deals with almost all the different minerals that were used in the antiquity ranging from stones that from the common ones of daily usage to semi-precious and precious stones. There is a more detailed examination of ores containing the frequently occurring metals such as copper, lead, zinc, arsenic, tin, gold, silver and iron. The question has been raised here about the ancient cultures and their resources zones. The book fulfils a lacuna in the study of minerals and the mining in ancient India. It will be equally useful for the archeologists and the historians of ancient science and technology working in India.