Exploring Ancient Indian Panchadhatu and Ashtadhatu-Making Traditions as Prototypes of Modern High Entropy Alloys

This study revolves around understanding the ancient metallurgy of Panchadhathu (five metal alloy)/ ashtadhathu (eight metal alloy) alloy making which was prevalent in ancient India, especially in its southern counterparts. This work is trying to locate these technological achievements as a prototype of modern High Entropy Alloys (HEAs) by examining the metallurgical practices, cultural contexts and technological sophistication. Even before formal codification of metallurgical practices, ancient blacksmiths showcased remarkable progress in this field and especially they understood core alloying principles like entropy stabilization, corrosion resistance, and mechanical strength. Preliminary studies show the importance of multi-component alloys in Ancient India and its potential to offer insights in to resource optimization and sustainable practices as well.

This project aims to bridge the gap between traditional metallurgical knowledge system with modern sustainable engineering practices through an interdisciplinary approach where archaeology, materials science and heritage studies are intertwined. Through experimenting with different compositions and combinations, this study aims to integrate past understanding of the technique of alloying with the contemporary advanced technologies thereby creating a sustainable and futuristic methodology for the production and utilization of metals.

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