An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c10.s5.17

v1.c10.s5.17

The above will show how inscriptions provide close evidence on the date of excavated remains. Nevertheless the evidence based on these data is not always impeachable and should be used with careful comparison with other data. The palaeography of the legend on Śeṣadatta's coins found at Hastināpura already mentioned may be cited as an example. While dating a stratum on the basis of palaeographic evidence one must bear in mind the regional variations of the scripts due to the fast or slow evolution of a particular script. Moreover it is quite possible that the seals, particularly monastic ones, like coins, might have been in circulation for a long period. Similarly images dedicated by devotees at different times are quite often deposited in a store-room. Finally sealings, copper-plate inscriptions and the like may be found out of their chronological context. Thus a terracotta seal with an inscription in Brāhmī reading *Buddhapasya* was found amidst the remains of Pd III, assigned to the 15th century and onwards, at NAGARA. Thus while dating the excavated deposits or structures on the basis of coins, seals, sealings and inscribed images and the like one should be one's guard and these finds have to be cross-checked by other materials found at a given stratum and context.