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Flat and Concave Dyes:
They are much thicker then the potsherds (12 to 18 mm). They have deeply grooved designs. Most of them have floral and geometrical patterns. Rouletted Ware.(RW):
Studies pertaining to cultural interactions between south Asia and the Hellenistic and Roman world have drawn a considerable attention. One of the Major artifact types that represent such contact is RW. This pottery was first identified by wheeler in 1945 excavation at Arikmedu on the Coromandal Coast of South India. 92
The RW is yet another important evidence of Roman influence. It is usually wheel thrown slipped and has lustrous surfaces, which are either brown and black or red and gray in color. The rouletted ware is found on the southeastern coast and inland sites in Tamil Nadu.93 They have not been found during the excavation of Nagara, Dev Ni Mori, Somnath and Shamalaji sites all of which had strong evidences of roman influence. Thus the find of RW at the site of Nani Rayan is quite a surprising thing.
My RW specimens are 5mms thick. They have a lustrous black surface and over and above the rouletted design it has linear and circular incised design. The internal surface is black in all specimens except one, in which it is red. Black Ware:
Few sherds of dark black color are found.
A sherd, piece of a small pot having out turned lip, 5 mm at the lower part thickening towards the lip(10mm). It has two rows (20mm apart) of two incised lines.
A sherd, a piece of a bowl (10mm). Here too there are rows of incised lines.
Fragment of a lid 12mm.
The lower part (Base) of a dish on stand (13 mm thick) with a broken stem, with small flower petal design
An Incense burner. This beautiful specimen is very slick, 4 to 5 mm thick. with very fine fiber and a smooth black slip.
6 spouts or Sprinklers, Two of them are small spouts made from sandy clay while the rest are made from finely levigated clay are cylindrical with a black slip. (They are discussed in greater details in the section of Spouted vessels).
92
93
K Krishnan and R.A.E.Coningham. Micro structural analysis of samples of rouletted ware...from Anuradhapura, Shri Lanka. Soth Asian Archeology, 1995 Vimala Begley Ceramic Evidence of Pre-Periplus trade on the Indian Coasts. Rome and India ancient sea trade
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