In India, inside the Qutub Minar complex of New Delhi, visitors immediately notice a 7.2-meter, six-ton iron column with a decorative top, which is even older than the complex. However, it is not the column itself that is surprising, but its appearance.
The column, which is now 1,600 years old, looks the same as the day it was forged. Her appearance is not affected by age or the environment, including high temperatures in the Indian capital and increasing pollution, writes CNN.
Typically, structures made of iron and iron alloys that are exposed to air or moisture will oxidize over time, causing them to rust unless they are topped with layers of special paint, like the Eiffel Tower. Scientists both in India and abroad began studying the Delhi iron pillar in 1912 to try to figure out why it had not corroded. It was only in 2003 that experts from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in the northern city of Kanpur solved the mystery, revealing the answer in the journal Current Science.
Experts were able to find out that the column was mainly made of wrought iron, had a high phosphorus content (about 1%) and did not contain sulfur and magnesium, unlike modern iron. In addition, ancient craftsmen used a technique called “forge welding.”
This means that they heated and heated and forged the iron while maintaining a high phosphorus content, which is an unusual method for modern practice.
“A thin layer of misovite, a compound of iron, oxygen and hydrogen, was also discovered on the surface of the column. This layer is formed catalytically by the high phosphorus content of iron and the absence of lime, which further increases the durability of the column,” Archeo-metallurgist R. commented on the study. Ballassubramaniom.
The scientist praised the metallurgists for their ingenuity, describing the column as “a living testimony to the ancient metallurgical skill of India.”
Its durability is evidenced by historical accounts, including an incident in the 18th century where a cannonball reportedly fired at a column failed to break it, demonstrating the exceptional strength of this ancient monument.
Today, the pillar serves as a symbol of scientific organizations such as the National Metallurgical Laboratory and the Indian Institute of Metals.
According to one legend, if you stand with your back to the pillar and wrap your arms around it, making sure your fingers touch each other, your wish will come true—a tradition that imbues the pillar with spiritual significance beyond its historical value.
However, ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) has placed a fence around the pillar to minimize human impact. Preservation architect and cultural heritage expert Pragya Nagar believes that the pillar has been preserved beautifully within the complex despite demolition and reconstruction around it over the years.
“If we do look at the techniques that were used to create the column from a new perspective, beyond simply recognizing its ancient origins, we can open up ways to use similar techniques to develop sustainable alternative materials, taking into account the environmental damage associated with such processes , like metal mining. It is extremely important to look at history not only as relics and monuments that are simply to be preserved and marveled at, but also as a repository of traditional knowledge and local practices for the future,” she commented.
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