An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c11.s6.1

v1.c11.s6.1

The Harappa [4.9] and the Chalcolithic cultures of c. India and the Deccan [4.14.5, 6] have yielded a variety of metallic fish-hooks to the virtual exclusion of harpoons, the latter being a common artefact in the Neolithic culture of Kashmir [4.6.1] and in the Copper Hoard culture [4.11]. Both barbed and unbarbed types come from Mohenjo-daro and Chanhu-daro. In fact, the ones from Mohenjo-daro are the earliest known examples of the barbed type. On the other hand, Harappa, LOTHAL and BANAWALI have yielded the unbarbed type, which had its continuity at the later Chalcolithic sites like CHANDOLI and NAVDATOLI. One of the five specimens from NAVDATOLI seems to have an eye, now damaged, for threading: all other examples from these two sites have thinned-out ends, with a slightly curved shank.