An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c15.s1.18

v1.c15.s1.18

The shape and function of a bead also determined the nature of perforation. For instance a spacer is bound to have more than one perforation, and the terminals from the Harappa sites provide examples of this. These show converging multiple parallel perforations. Faïence spacers from NAVDATOLI, Chalcolithic, are another instance of this. Some beads, as those from Mohenjo-daro and much later ones, as from TRIPURĪ, historical period, show a T-shaped perforation. Such beads might have been used as apex beads (*meru-maṇi*). Beads with right-angled perforation, as at Mahabodhi, and those with V-shaped perforation, as at Mohenjo-daro, Taxila and AHICCHATRĀ, are also known, the latter type of perforation being associated with the ‘leech-shaped’ beads of the Maurya period.