The Indus Civilization (Cambridge History of India, Supplementary Volume) c14.25

c14.25

It may be repeated that many of the implements mentioned in the previous section are manifestly of an unspecialized kind just as likely to have been used for hunting or other unmilitary purposes as for war. In a definitely unwarlike category may be included asymmetrical single-edged cleavers of copper or bronze (fig. 10, 5), occasionally with up-turned points which recall certain Egyptian knives ascribed to the VIth Dynasty.¹ Saws of a similar type also occur. Small metal blades, occasionally with the two ends of the cutting-edge turned back in exaggeratedly axe-like form (fig. 10, 8) and in one instance with fragment of cotton fabric adhering, were doubtless razors,² recalling the shaven upper lip and sometimes the shaven chin of the sculptured heads. On the other hand it has been observed that hones, such as were familiar in Sumer, are extremely scarce on Harappan sites.