Radiocarbon dating has been used to date the mining and metallurgical activities in the Gujarat and Rajasthan ores in India. Ore-artifact correlation and early literary evidences indicate that the mining and metallurgy of copper and possibility of lead, zinc, gold and silver, commenced in 2nd century BC. Evidences for the continuity of the activities during the 2nd to 4th centuries AD and again intermittently from early 11th century AD, corresponding to Solanki period in the earliest part are also present. -- AATA