The Indus Civilization c6.26

c6.26

There is reason to think that most of these animals were kept in captivity, for the great majority are portrayed with a manger, or food-vessel, before them, while in front of the urus-bull there invariably appears a curious object which has not yet been satisfactorily identified, but is regarded by some authorities as an altar, and by others as a rack and crib for fodder (Pl. M, 12). It seems that this object alone must have been connected with some kind of cult, for it occurs without the animal on one object at least from Mohenjo-daro, and on several amulets from Harappa. Other animals shown on a certain type of copper amulet of tablet form include the hare, the antelope, a horned beast, as yet unidentified, and a very unusual creature with a head at either end which, as Frankfort has shown, is not unlike certain Sumerian animal designs.