A team from the Archaeological Survey of India has identified an extensive iron-smelting industrial site at a location in the Wardha district. The site contains dozens of furnaces and massive slag heaps dating back to the 1st millennium BCE, indicating a highly organized metal production system.
The chemical analysis of the slag suggests that these ancient metallurgists were producing high-carbon steel, often referred to as 'Wootz' in later periods. This discovery reinforces the theory that the Vidarbha region was a primary source of iron for the Mauryan and Satavahana empires.