The Indus Civilization c5.19

c5.19

The visitor to Mohenjo-daro is inevitably struck by the plainness of its buildings (Pl. G), which lack even the brick decoration of recessing or pilasters so often seen on the contemporary buildings of Sumer. There is, however, a possibility that the upper stories were decorated with ornamental brickwork or with carved wood verandahs and screens, which have naturally long since perished. No stone seems to have been used to relieve the monotony, for though supplies of limestone exist at Sukkur, some fifty-six miles away to the north-east, it is so full of flint that it would have been difficult to work. Large stone rings have been unearthed which may have been threaded on poles to form columns; a description of these rings occurs later in this chapter.