The Indus Civilization (Cambridge History of India, Supplementary Volume) c10.7

c10.7

Amongst these features, priority may be given to the citadel (fig. 4 and plan facing p. 18).³ This is roughly a parallelogram on plan, some 460 yds. from north to south and 215 yds. from east to west. Its general altitude rises slightly from south to north, where the present summit, unfortunately sealed by a Muslim graveyard, is 45-50 ft. above the adjacent plain. The buildings of the interior had been raised upon a platform of mud and mud-brick centrally 20-25 ft. above the former ground-level and contained on all sides by massive defences which have been partially explored. A section cut through them on the western side showed the following succession (facing p. 19). Preceding their construction four thick layers of alluvium had accumulated on the site, with only the faintest hint, in the form of a few very minute scraps of pottery, of human occupation in the vicinity. Above these lay an occupation-layer about 20 in. deep, from which were recovered thirty sherds, generally comparable with certain of the north Baluch village cultures (possibly Piggott's "Rana Ghuṇḍai IIIc") rather than with the Harappan. All these deposits were then partially cut away by flood or rain, whereafter the construction of the citadel was undertaken by new arrivals equipped with the full Harappan culture. The monsoon-cutting was filled with mud-bricks, which were carried up in bricks and mud to form an anti-flood "bolster" or *bund*, spreading protectively beyond the outer foot of a great defensive wall 45 ft. wide at the base and tapering upwards. The main bulk of this wall was of mud brick but there was an external revetment of baked brick 4 ft. wide as preserved.¹ The back of the mud-brick wall was at first vertical, but insecurity quickly developed and a slope or batter was introduced during the work. Although structurally secondary, the internal platform was contemporary with the defences. On it were vestiges of not less than six distinct phases of baked-brick building, mostly representing changes of plan and, it may be supposed, a very considerable stretch of time.