An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c11.s7.t2: 6.7.2 Gamesmen
An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c11.s7.t2
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6.7.2 Gamesmen
v1.c11.s7.t2.1
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).
v1.c11.s7.t2.2
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.
v1.c11.s7.t2.3
Marshall, J., *Taxila*, Cambridge, 2, pp. 662-3. For sites see respective entries in vol. II.—C. MARGABANDHU