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An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c11.s7: 6.7 Games and Amusement

An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c11.s7

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English

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6.7 Games and Amusement

6.7.1 Dice

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The earliest dice, made of bone and ivory, are reported from ALAMGIRPUR, DESALPAR, KALIBANGAN, LOTHAL and ROPAR—all Harappa sites [4.9]. They are long and square in section, one to six dots incised on the sides. From the early 1st millennium B.C. to the early centuries of the Christian era dice were prepared of stone, shell and terracotta in addition to bone and ivory. The predominant shapes are flat, rectangular or oblong, with the four sides incised with one to four dots running serially, each dot surrounded by one or more circles and bordered by straight lines. An early piece is one from the PGW levels of ALAMGIRPUR. Early historical dice (c. 600-300 B.C.) are reported from c. India and upper Deccan (ERAN, NASIK, UJJAIN), Ganga valley (CHIRAND, SONPUR) and the n.-w. (Taxila), made of bone or ivory.

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Cuboid dice are rare; made of terracotta, they are reported from the Kushan and later levels of KUMRAHAR, RANG MAHAL and SAMBHAR. They bear one to six marks arranged in such a manner that the sum of the points on each pair of the opposite faces is seven, similar to those known from Harappa sites. Some early medieval dice come from CHIRAND, PĀṬALIPUTRA, SHAMALAJI, etc.

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Model game-boards made on potsherds and brick have been identified at LOTHAL (Harappa). In the early historical period of NAGARJUNAKONDA there are game-boards from the Iksvāku levels (*c.* A.D. 250-400), incised on stone slabs consisting in one case of eight rows of eight squares in each row and in another in rows of two, three, five consisting of the same number of squares in each respective row.

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Dales, G. F., 1968, in *Jour. American Oriental Soc.*, 88, pp. 18-19. Krishnamurthy, K., 1961, in *Orissa Hist. Res. Jour.*, 10, pp. 1-4. Marshall, J., 1951 *Taxila*, Cambridge, 22, pp. 459-60, 662-3. For sites see respective entries in vol. II.—C. MARGABANDHU

6.7.2 Gamesmen

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Simple gaming pieces consist of a flat bottom with a definite head or grooved channel to differentiate the body from the head. The varieties include solid cylinders having flat circular disc base, incised conical top decorated with animal heads and so on. Specimens are known from the Harappa sites [4.9] of DESALPUR, KALIBANGAN, LOTHAL, ROJDI, SURKOTADA, etc. At LOTHAL they are made of stone, ivory, bone, conch-shell and terracotta, the shapes being pyramidal, conical, small tetrahedral, cylindrical, and castle-like, with button-shaped tops; the decorated ones include those with heads of animals like the dog, bull, ram, horse and so on. One with a pyramidal head having an ivory handle is a fine decorated model. Others include terracotta ones with ram heads from DESALPUR and simple yet delicate chert and terracotta specimens from KALIBANGAN. At GILUND (Chalcolithic [4.14.1]) there are varieties in terracotta, some with animal heads, one of them identified as that of a ram. Simple ones in terracotta are also reported from LAL QILA (OCW [4.12] levels) and at ATRANJIKHERA and NOH (PGW [4.15] levels).

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During the early historical period gamesmen were prepared in bone, ivory or terracotta. From the 5th-4th century B.C. they became widespread in the Ganga valley and c. and w. India. They are of uniform yet simple shapes consisting of circular discs, flat at the bottom and on the upper side with a raised boss surrounded by concentric circles in the centre, or are solid cylinders, square or hexagonal tablets. Some have perforations on top for threading. Quite a few are painted or decorated with symbols, and those of stone and ivory are polished. Early ones are known from ATRANJIKHERA, BAHAL, NAGDA, PRAKASH, SARAI MOHANA, TUMAIN, UJJAIN, etc., the last site revealing a continuous occurrence from the 5th century B.C. to the 3rd century A.D. without any change of form. From the second century B.C. they are largely known from BESNAGAR, BRAHMAGIRI, BROACH, NAGDA, NAGARI, NASIK, NEVASA, TRIPURĪ, etc. Ivory and terracotta ones are respectively known from PRABHAS PATAN and URAIYUR in the 1st century A.D. levels. Terracotta specimens are widespread in the Ganga valley during the early centuries of the Christian era, being reported from CHANDRAKETUGARH , CHIRAND, KUMRAHAR, MASAON, RAJGHAT⁴, etc. Later terracotta specimens, A.D. 300-600, are found at MAHESHWAR, PAUNAR, RAJGHAT⁴ and SALIHUNDAM.

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Marshall, J., *Taxila*, Cambridge, 2, pp. 662-3. For sites see respective entries in vol. II.—C. MARGABANDHU

6.7.3 Hopscotches

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Flat potsherds with edges ground to a round shape, or similarly shaped discs of stone or bone, found at many sites, were probably the ancient counterpart of hopscotches—a children’s game of hopping on one foot and pushing the flat object over scotches (lines) marked on the ground. Specimens are known from the Harappa sites [4.9] of KALIBANGAN, LOTHAL, ROPAR, SURKOTADA, etc. At ALLAHAPUR, KHALAUA and LAL QILA they come from the early 1st millennium B.C. levels. At CHIRAND such discs are made of ivory and at ERAN and KESARAPALLE of terracotta. At ATRANJIKHERA and NOH they occur in PGW [4.15] levels, whereas at AYODHYĀ, HASTINĀPURA, MASAON, PRAHLADPUR and in other Ganga valley sites they continue in the NBPW [4.16] levels. Many of the terracotta ones bear various decorations. In the early historical levels their occurrence is widespread in regions of c. and w. India (AMRELI, AWRA, NAGAL, NAGDA, NAVDATOLI, PAUNAR, SARADKEL, UJJAIN), the Ganga valley (ATRANJIKHERA, MASAON, etc.) and the Deccan (NEVASA, BRAHMAGIRI KONDAPUR, MASKI). Later specimens datable to c. A.D. 200 to 500 are known from DEVNIMORI, NAGARJUNAKONDA, RANG MAHAL, SALIHUNDAM and TIMBARVA. The shape remains unchanged from the Harappa to the historical times.

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For sites see respective entries in vol. II.—C. MARGABANDHU

6.7.4 Toys

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A toy is an object to play with, often a piece used in a game particularly by children. Toys give a picture of the children's environment and playing with them widens their idea and knowledge of animals, birds and other aspects of their environment. It is sometimes difficult to identify an object as a toy, unlike gaming pieces such as gamesmen [6.7.2], dice [6.7.1], balls, hopscotches [6.7.3] and so on. Those which are not of artistic, cultic or religious value and are simple, miniature forms and models are taken under the category of toys or dolls.

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Objects considered as toys mainly consist of carts with and without wheels [16.17], wheeled objects, animals and birds without wheels or cart frames, human figurines, rattles, whistles, knuckle bones, miniature vessels and so on, all small in size.

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Toy carts, frames and wheels found together or separately are known from the Harappa [4.9] and Chalcolithic [4.14] times to the late historical period. Models of cart frames with transverse holes for tying animals are reported at ALAMGIRPUR, AMBKHERI, DAIMABAD, KALIBANGAN, LOTHAL, SURKOTADA, etc. They are made of copper, bronze or terracotta.

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Wheels [16.19] are either simple or decorated; the latter consist of paintings, incisions or applied pellets, dots, etc. Some are plain and flat, while others have hubs on one side.

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Cart models and frames of the early historical period indicate a range of vehicles prepared in a realistic miniature form. The best toy models come from ATRANJIKHERA, BRAHMAPURI, NAGARJUNAKONDA, HASTINĀPURA, NOH, RAIRH, RANG MAHAL, SAMBHAR, SONPUR, UJJAIN, YELLESWARAM, etc. They are made of copper, bronze or terracotta. Some are plain and simple open carts; others are covered wagons and chariots to be drawn by toy horses, bulls, rams, birds, etc. The body of the vehicle has a transverse hole underneath and a pole in front possessing high sloping voluted sides. The wheels have heavy and clearly defined hubs and felli. They are found from the 3rd century B.C to the 3rd-4th century A D

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Wheeled toys consist of animals and birds with two or four wheels with transverse holes for stringing. The Chalcolithic and Harappa ones are from DAIMABAD, KALIBANGAN, LOTHAL, SURKOTADA, etc. At ALAMGIRPUR wheeled toys drawn by bulls and rams are known from the levels of the early 1st millennium B.C. At NAGDA a copper leopard placed on four wheels is datable to the 4th-3rd century B C. Many wheeled toys dragged by horses, humped bulls, rams and birds are reported from Taxila—Bhir mound and Sirkap—datable to the 4th century B C to the 1st century A D. Similar wheeled toys are also known from BHITA, KAUŚĀMBĪ MATHURA, etc., drawn by bulls and rams.

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During the early historical period a number of toy animals—birds and reptiles—have been found with cross perforations at legs, body, ears, nostrils, necks or tails for stringing. The early ones belong to the 5th-4th century B.C. and continue to occur down to the 5th-6th century A.D. The species represented include the lion, tiger, leopard, elephant, rhinoceros, camel, horse, fox, bull, cow, buffalo, ram, goat, monkey, dog, tortoise, *nāga*, fish, crocodile, peacock, parrot, dove, cock, owl, pigeon, etc.

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Male and female figurines used as toys or dolls are infrequently reported earlier than the historical period. They bear perforations and are made in different parts joined together. During the early historical period a few toy human figurines are known. At RAIRH headless human figurines are pierced at the neck, shoulders and knees for attachment to be used as movable toys. One is a figure carrying a drum between two arms. Many crude handmade figurines with pinched nose, round eyes and outstretched arms, occur at BHOKARDAN, BRAHMMAPURI, KAUŚĀMBĪ: KONDAPUR, MASKI, NEVASA, MATHURA, PAITHAN, RANG MAHAL, SAMBHAR, TER, etc. They belong to the time span of the 3rd century B.C. and 3rd century A.D.

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Rattles are objects with sound-making device made in shapes imitating animals and birds, grotesque figures, pots, etc. Small pebbles and clay pellets are put inside them for jingling. They are known from KALIBANGAN, LOTHAL, SURKOTADA, etc., and are mostly birds in terracotta. During the early historical period the commonest ones are in the shape of bird. They are usually in terracotta but a few are of iron and copper. At NEVASA one is of the shape of an elephant and another is bulbous. A specimen from BRAHMAGIRI possesses a grotesque face. Bird-shaped rattles are also reported from AMRELI, CHANDRAKETUGARH and RANG MAHAL; SAMBHAR has yielded one of iron in addition to bird rattles in terracotta from Kushan times. Rattles also come from PAUNAR in the period of the 5th-6th century. At Taxila a number of terracotta rattles occur in levels of the 3rd century B.C. to the 4th century A.D. In addition to birds (cocks and parrots), animals (rams and tortoise) and grotesque faces, the new types include fruit (pomegranates) and anthropoid figures.

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Whistles are known from Chalcolithic times. NEVASA and Taxila have yielded them from the early historical levels. A unique specimen from the former site is cut from shell columela. At Taxila all are made in clay of the shape of sling bullets, barrel beads or miniature vases.

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A few knuckle bones are reported from KALIBANGAN. RANG MAHAL and TAXILA have yielded them in the historical levels. They are used in a game similar to dice but possess four flat sides, the other two being round. The four flat sides are worked with markings numbering one opposite six and three opposite four. The specimens from RANG MAHAL belong to a small bovid and are smoothened at the top and bottom. They belong to the late Kushan times.

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Miniature stools, legs or chests, boards, etc., belong to the early centuries A.D. and are made in ivory and terracotta. NEVASA has yielded a toy stool of clay. Many toy models of furniture made of ivory and bone are known from Taxila from the 3rd century B.C. to the 3rd century A.D. levels. They represent handles, terminals, miniature trinkets, tables and bedsteads.

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Pots and vessels so tiny that they can be only toys occur in abundance from Chalcolithic times to the historical period. The range of shapes consists of vases, bowls, spouted pots with handle, flat-based jars, lids, globular vessels, small containers, cups and beakers.

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Dongerkery, S., 1954, *Journey Through Toyland*. For sites see respective entries in vol. II.—C. MARGABANDHU

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