The Indus Civilization c8.20

c8.20

In one hoard of copper found at an early level at Mohenjo-daro, some of the tools have pictographs incised upon them, and what appear to be numbers. Inscribed tools and weapons are, however, far more common at Harappa, a fact which with others has given rise to the suggestion that this city is slightly the earlier of the two, though it is impossible to say whether it was also the first to be deserted. The reason for this custom of inscribing tools and implements will, of course, remain uncertain until the script of the Indus valley has been deciphered, but it is thought that the hoard from Mohenjo-daro may have been temple or government property which was numbered to prevent theft. In ancient Egypt tools sometimes had numbers incised upon them for this very reason.