________________
28
28 09090
Of all the specimens the most beautiful one is an exquisitely carved peacock on a large, vertically cut piece of a shell. The peacock is surrounded by fine geometrical design. It must have been a piece of an armlet.
Over and above the bangles few other things, made from shell are recovered. Buttons. (10 to 20 mm in size) 3 buttons with four perforations 1 with two and 1 with a single perforation are found. A flat disc (30 mm) and a Cube (25 x 23 x 20 mm) looking like a weight are also found.
The profusion and wide variety of shell bangles found from Nani Rayan is a unique thing. Although shell bangles are found from many sites of Indus valley period down to late history period at no single place such a wide Varity of bangle designs and armlet with a peacock are seen. This speaks of highly well developed shell bangle industry and presence of quality craftsmen Terra Cotta Bangles :
Only two fragments of Terra Cotta bangle were found. Both are black in color and are 7 to 8 mm broad and 5 to 6 mm thick. One has design of interlocked lines while the other has sets of three oblique lines. Ornament making dye :
It is an 85 x 72 x 33mm backed earth brick like structure of red color .A finely and deeply carved impression of pendent is seen in the center. Emerging from one point 5 to 6 lines make a circle and then curve down giving it a beautiful shape. The craft man must be pouring molten metal in this dye to get an ornament. Pottery
Mold Made Ware &Stamped Ware is important pottery indicating the Roman influence. It was found and described by Wheeler in 1945 when he was excavating Arikemedu. Since then it has been found from many sites in India. The metal prototype and pottery were imported from Rome during 4th BC to early part of 1st AD. Later on Indian potters made them locally. They, using the stamp, created a mold. After fixing it, put it on the center of potters' wheel. Wet clay was then thrown inside the mold with the lip added free hand. The pot shrunk as it dried, facilitating its
removal from the mold. Later it was backed.90 Aside from amphora fragments they are major evidence for determining the chronology and the nature of the earliest phase of trade contacts.91
I have found quite a good number of stamped Potsherds from Nani Rayan. They have Floral. Geometrical designs, and Human and Animal figurines. Most of the shreds are red in color some are black and one is red and black.
90 91
MrM.N.Deshpande, From the paper he read at the seminar on Indian Pottery at Patana in 1968 Vimala Begley. Ceramic evidence for pre- periplus trade on Indian coasts Rome and India ancient sea trade
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
