The Indus Civilization c6.40

c6.40

These skirl devices, which are certainly uncommon, are generally considered to be solar symbols. If the circular symbol on the two seal-amulets mentioned above is taken to indicate the sun, which seems likely, then the various gods who were connected in some way with it are represented by the animals’ heads. In the many-headed skirl the rays are so carefully arranged round the centre that no god is elevated at the expense of another; but in the second example the urus-bull alone appears, the other five rays being blank. The emphasis placed on this six-rayed device suggests that the sun was regarded as the greatest of all the gods, and that the six animal-heads associated with it represent the premier deities of the Indus Valley pantheon.