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BHARATIYA ASMITA PART II
the early stage of its development (PL. IV, 1) as well as in its later forms (Pl. II, 2-7), but the most noteworthy is its occurrence on a dark red-slipped widemouthed dish or bowl (Pl. II, 6-7). But for the wavy oblique lines, it compares very well with the one from Amri (Pl. II, 11).
This pot-hook motif as well as the sigma or Sodesign on a carinated bowl of almost identical shape at Amri I and Navdatoli (PI. II, 8 and 17) suggests a relationship between both these distant sites. Dancing Human Figures
Attention has been already drawn to the dancing human figures on a white-slipped ware from Navdatoli, and those from Iran, Syria, etc. Now in addition to this, a striking parallel can be cited between a design motif in which large human figures, holding each other's hands, have been shown in solid black at Navdatoli (Pl. IV, 1) and at Sialk in Period III (PI. IV, 5). The Mother Goddess
The mother godess figure has again a long history of development in Iran apart from the fact that it occurs also elsewhere in Western Asia. The earliest might be the extremely stylized figures in clay from Tape Khakhiya and Tepe Sarıb in South ast Iran. These have no face or head but only a stick-like vert cal projection and two breasts and painting tapering legs a fine example of impressionistic "Modern' art!. While this might be compared with and derived from similar motifs of the Upper Palaeolithic period in Europe, particularly around Bruno, a figure of a woman appears at Tureng Tepe, north of Hissar. The f cial features are delineated, and in addition the figure wears bangles on both the wrists, and necklaces on the neck and chest. It is dated to the 3rd millennium B. C. Later at the same site we have a figure with pinched nose, and holding the breast with two hands but with out ornaments. It is in clay und 9.5 cms. broad and 24.5 cms. high (Archeologie Vivante, P. 38. Pl. XI).
Lastly, there is the female figurine with a hollow cyl ndrical or solid triangular he: d with one or more holes for suspension, stumpy outstretched arms and prominent breasts and lower part of the body flat and fiaring out, but otherwise featureless.
At Hissar this figure occurs in alabaster and bone in Period III, Band IIIC, and very likely is derived from still earlier Iranian and Anatolian forms to which Evans had drawn our attention long ago. This was :. Iso recognized by Gordo. 2) †
Though M. henjodaro and Harappu have given us a large number of terracotta female figurines, some of which are undoubtedly mother goddesses, still this particular form is missing there. Surprisingly, figures almost identical with those at Hassar turned up at Nevasa. The on: shown in Pl. VI, No. 4, is the largest mother goddess figurine found so far in a Chalcolithic context which is well dated to 1200 B.C. (The current excavations at Inamgaon, in Sirur Taluka, in Poona District, have already yielded two such figures, but these seem to be male !) Channel Spowied Bowl
This has a long history in Iran itself, and does not appear for the first time at Tepe Giyan or Marlik between 1200 and 1009 or 800 B.C., as usually supposed.
A painted bowl with a pihched lip or small channel spout (bol a perit hoc versoir) occurs at Ismailabad, a site 80 kms. northwest of Teheran. It is 22.5 cms. broad and 18 cms. high and is dated to the 5th millennium B. C. (Archeologie Vivante, Paris 1968).
Then Sialk IV (c. 300) B. C.) has a vessel in cream slip and is without a hudle. Of the same date is a small bowl in dark red, with black painting and short pinched lip from Kara Tape, at Shahriar. Sialk has also a cessel without a hundle. It is in whitish slip with crimson painting.
This list can be enlarged. Suffice it to emphasize once again that Vessels with or wi hout handles, and with sort or long spouts, were current in Iran for thousands of years. Their spiead to India might have cccurred at different times. This gxplains the almost complete identity between a coper/bronze vessel from Susa (e. 2 00 B.C.) exhibited in the Teheran Museum and the one found by us at Khurdi in Rajasthan. 21 + The latter is only slightly smaller in size. 22 †
20. D. H. Gordan, in laq XIII. 59.
21. Suikali, in Arious Asiae (1963) 316 118. S.
22. 1. K. Sarma (indica 4, 87) seems to derive this type of vessel from the Lower Neolithic of the Deccan. Firsty one should not compare with and infer from unstratified evidence. Secondly, even the Lower Neolithic might be ultimately derived from W. Asia. -Since this was written. S. R. Rao dug at a site called Singanapa li jn Kanool District. Here mainly u red ware, painted in black was found, the remain type being a deep bowl with a rinched lip. The Grey Ware of the Southern Neolithic occurred ja extrenely liMited quantity, Hende the author conies to a conclusion diametrically opposite to Sarma's, ranely, that tie barers of this painted culture at Ramapa, Patnpadu, Sivavaram, and Pavalapadu, adopted the painten po: erytralition of the postHarappan Chalcithic cultures . St Trdia (f. Indian Archacology-A Review 1963-68 1968. p. 50).
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