The Indus Civilization (Cambridge History of India, Supplementary Volume) c8.21

c8.21

Meanwhile, information accumulates slowly in regard to the numerous pottery-bearing cultures of Baluchistan. Little enough is at present known about them, but all doors are left open by the provisional and cautious use of the rough basic classification proposed by McCown,² whereby the early cultures of Iran are grouped broadly in accordance with the dominant ground-colour of their pottery—whether *red* or *buff*. This may appear to be an almost frivolous basis for scientific classification, but it seems to have the merit of a measure of geographic cohesion in the earlier periods and has been found of some passing use pending the emergence of more exact criteria. McCown has observed that the red element dominates the northern wares of Iran and that buff dominates the southern;² whilst Piggott has extended this system into Baluchistan with the equivalent observation that red is dominant in north Baluchistan (north of Quetta) and buff in south Baluchistan. Most of Afghanistan is at present an unknown quantity, but should by this rule conform mainly with the northern or red group.