The Indus Civilization c5.14

c5.14

Bricks of other shapes were made for special purposes. Wedge-shaped bricks lined the wells (Pl. B, b), though, curiously enough, this kind of brick was never used for vaulting. Only the corbel-arch was in use (Pl. C, a), in spite of the fact that the true arch was known in Mesopotamia at the same period, or even earlier. For pavements and other special purposes, ordinary bricks were often cut down to a smaller size, such as 9·5 × 4·35 × 2 inches, and the edges and faces were then carefully rubbed smooth; in this way a bathroom pavement could be rendered practically water-tight. No patterns are ever found in these pavements, which are always severely plain, though care was taken to break the joints, and L-shaped bricks were occasionally used for corners.