An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c11.s13.2

v1.c11.s13.2

Representations of masked human figures are found in paintings on rock-shelters [13] which have been dated variously between the Mesolithic [4.5] and the historical period; some of these could be considered archetypes of later masks. These figures painted on rock-shelters in Madhya Pradesh are shown wearing bison-horned masks, wolf-head masks, mouse-head masks, etc. (Wakankar and Brooks, 1976, pp. 32, 44, 79). One of the human figures from BHIMBETKA, wearing a double-horned mask and another from MODI (*ibid.*, p. 32) are reminiscent respectively of the Harappa [4.9] double-horned figure engraved on a terracotta cake found at KALIBANGAN (*IAR 1963-4*, pp. 31, 38, pl. XXII B) and the painted motif on a Cemetery H potsherd from Harappa (Vats, 1940, pl. LXIX, 18). Of interest are the masked human figures with double horns represented on seals from Mohenjo-daro and an archer with a double-horned masked face on a copper tablet from the same site.