The Indus Civilization c8.34

c8.34

It has already been mentioned that cotton was spun and woven at Mohenjo-daro and probably also at Harappa. The numerous spindle-whorls with rounded tops and flat, or slightly concave bases found in both cities show that the women, if not the men also, spent much of their spare time spinning the thread; the latter must assuredly have been cotton, for the majority of the spindle-whorls are too small and light to spin an elastic fibre like wool. Specimens have been unearthed made of pottery, shell, faience, or a vitreous paste, and when they are ornamented, which is rare, the patterns are extremely simple. Whorls are found with one hole, or with two or three holes for a split spindle, while some have a groove round the edge which was probably used for rubbing the thread.