The Indus Civilization c7.21

c7.21

When the nature of the stone permitted, the bead was first flaked longitudinally into shape and subsequently rubbed smooth with an abrasive. The final shaping may have been done on some instrument as a lathe, but, though it might be supposed that the presence of the hole would have facilitated this process, the actual boring was, as a matter of fact, done last of all. Unfinished beads of later date found in other parts of India also show that the boring was left until the end.