An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c17.s3.10

v1.c17.s3.10

12.3.9 *Ring stones and discs.* Small rings or discs of stone with a variety of formal reliefs of decorative and cultic character have been found at many sites. The carvings normally occupying only one face of the ring are generally arranged in concentric bands with the conventional figure of the mother goddess [12.6], palm trees. tional figure of the mother goddess [12.6], plam trees, varying thickness, their diameter is generally from about 3 to 9 cm. Some of them are without any figure of the mother goddess. There is a central hole in the ring stones whereas the discs are without it. Amongst the ring stones found in regular excavations, the notable ones are from Taxila (Mauryan), ROPAR Pd III (600-200 B.C.) and PURANA QILA (Mauryan). The one from Taxila has two decorative bands with rope design marking concentric circles and four figures of the standing mother goddess with a conventional tree in between. The specimen from PURANA QILA, although fragmentary, is analogous to the Taxila one except for a pipal-like tree by the side of the goddess. More interesting is a broken ring stone from ROPAR which has figures in the upper as well as lower bands. The upper one depicts a curved hut of MATHURA. The possibility of their being some kind of ritualistic pits cannot be ruled out. In the Śaka-Kushan period of the same site has been found a pit containing ashes and animal bones below the basal fillings of the inner mud fortification. It may have some ritualistic connection with the construction of the mud rampart.