[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Studies](https://indike.org/pramana/ins) › [Reference works](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference) › [An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.ghosh-1989) › v1.c22.s1 # An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c22.s1: 17.1 Animal An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c22.s1 - **Language:** English ### 17.1 Animal ### [v1.c22.s1.1](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.ghosh-1989.v1.c22.s1.1) Technically the terracotta animal figurines of India have from the earliest times a basic similarity in manufacture, viz. hand-modelling, pinching of clay, applied, incised and pin-hole decoration or detail, the mould being used towards the early centuries of the Christian era. However there are some peculiar techniques and stylistic variations in the making of these figurines in different periods and regions and these do not permit us to label all the varieties as 'timeless'. ### [v1.c22.s1.2](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.ghosh-1989.v1.c22.s1.2) The earliest terracotta animal figurines found on the subcontinent are from the Chalcolithic sites of settled agricultural communities of Kulli, Quetta and Zhob regions of Baluchistan. They consist of hand-modelled bulls with exaggerated humps and stumpy legs and painted with vertical stripes across the body. The largeness of their number in a restricted area of the site at Kulli perhaps suggests their use as offerings on a cultic spot. Some figurines with their legs pierced for wheel axles were possibly used as toys. ### [v1.c22.s1.3](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.ghosh-1989.v1.c22.s1.3) In contrast to these Baluchistan settlements the Harappa culture \[4.9\] has a large variety of animal figurines, consisting of the bull, ram, sheep, elephant, tiger, lion (double-headed stylized bust), dog, bear, rhinoceros, unicorn, cow (two specimens from LOTHAL), pig, monkey, cat, squirrel, etc. The horse is absent except for a specimen from LOTHAL and possibly another from Mohenjo-daro. The bull is represented in two varieties: one with a pronounced hump, large horns and stumpy legs and the other with a small hump, short horns and thick neck. The latter is seen at KALIBANGAN, LOTHAL, Harappa and Mohenjo-daro. The non-naturalistic wheeled bull from SURKOTADA, Phase IC differs in the plastic conception from the other Harappa animals which are on the whole realistic in treatment. For instance the folded hide of the rhinoceros is shown by an additional layer of clay and the fleece of the sheep is indicated by nail incisions. The exact function of the Harappa animal figurines is not known but those with an arrangement for wheels and movable neck seem to have been used as toys \[6.7.4\], whereas some figurines of the ram and bull could have been used as votive offerings or cult objects. ### [v1.c22.s1.4](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.ghosh-1989.v1.c22.s1.4) The peninsular Neolithic \[4.6.8-10\] sites such as PIKLIHAL, PAIYAMPALLI, SANGANAKALLU and TEKKALAKOTTA have some figurines of crudely modelled cattle with long horns. The Neolithic-Chalcolithic \[4.6.4, 4.14.3\] phase at CHIRAND has yielded some figurines of the humped bull and \*nāga\* (snake). The Banas culture \[4.14.1\] at AHAR² and GILUND have some stylized bull figurines with long horns and a pronounced hump. A horse figurine has been reported from AHAR² ### [v1.c22.s1.5](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.ghosh-1989.v1.c22.s1.5) In the post-Harappa Chalcolithic village culture of INAMGAON (Jorwe phase \[4.14.6\]) the bull seems to have been associated with a cult of the headless goddess \[12.6\] as suggested by Sankalia, 1974. KAYATHA, Pd II, gives interesting material on what seems to have been cultic use of bull. Both naturalistic and stylized depictions are seen. The latter is in some specimens a minimal from abstracted to two horns and a hump. CHANDOLI and NEVASA have zoomorphic bottles resembling a bull. NAVDATOLI and PRAKASH have jars applied with animal figures including that of a tortoise. ### [v1.c22.s1.6](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.ghosh-1989.v1.c22.s1.6) The late Harappa \[4.10\] phase showing an overlap with the OCW phase \[4.12\] at BARGAON and AMBKHERI has representations of bull-headed toy carts. BHAGWANPURA² which represents an overlap of the late Harappa and PGW \[4.15\] cultures has yielded rams with deep incisions. Almost the same type of ram and bull have been noted at ALAMGIRPUR (PGW). HASTINĀPURA, Pd II, has yielded crudely modelled figurines, possibly of a horse and bull. ### [v1.c22.s1.7](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.ghosh-1989.v1.c22.s1.7) As we come to the NBPW \[4.18.1\] levels a large variety of animal figurines, viz. the elephant, bull, horse, ram, dog, monkey, \*nāgī\*, etc., gradually begin to appear in numerous towns of the Ganga valley. The \*nāgī\* figurines which also occur in the pre-NBP levels at certain sites of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are stylized and have a snakehood and human female body. They are handmade and beat punched and incised marks to show the navel, girdle, etc. The elephants of BUXAR are noteworthy in that they bear painted vertical stripes. A lustrous polish as on the NBPW is seen on the animal figurines of PRAHLADPUR, MATHURA, etc. At MATHURA some of the elephant figurines are hollow produced on a wheel and have applied tail and trunk. The animals of BUXAR, PĀTALIPUTRA, VAIŚĀLĪ, MASAON, MATHURA, HASTINĀPURA, PURĀNA QILA, ATRANJIKHERA, etc., are meticulously decorated as if they were ceremonial animals. The decoration consists of applied bands, punched-marked and incised circlets, rosette motifs and in some cases even stamped leaf motif as on the mother goddess figurines. Some elephant and horse figurines have riders attached to them. ### [v1.c22.s1.8](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.ghosh-1989.v1.c22.s1.8) In the centuries around the Christian era wheeled animal heads, mainly of the ram, elephant, bull and crocodile, are seen at a large number of sites of W. Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Hollow figurines of the pig and bull were used in the form of rattles. Moduled reliefs of bullock carts and horse chariots \[16.17.1\] showing the frontal view are also found at KAUŚĀMBĪ, BHITA, MATHURA, etc. Hollow round plaques and skin-rubbers \[18.4\] found at AHICCHATRĀ, RAJGHAT, etc., have animal motifs such as the elephant, crocodile, griffin, etc., indicating the decorative function of the animals. ### [v1.c22.s1.9](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.ghosh-1989.v1.c22.s1.9) The Megalithic \[4.8, 9\] sites of PAIYAMPALLI, KUNNATUR, SANUR and BRAHMAGIRI have yielded very few clay animal figurines. Those from the Nilgiris are of a doubtful date. In the early centuries of the Christian era, with the urbanization of the Deccan we get delicate hollow terracottas or kaolin figurines at PAITHAN, NEVASA, TER, KONDAPUR, YELLESWARAM, etc. These figurines, produced out of two moulds, consist of the buffalo, horse, bull (usually seated on a platformlike \*nandī\*), ram, etc., which are lavishly ornamented with trappings. It is doubtful whether such delicate figurines would have been used as toys. Perforations near the base of some of the bull figurines indicate their use as amulets \[12.1\]. Crocodile (\*makara\*) amulets have been found at NEVASA. Animal figurines have been reported from KANCHIPURAM, TIRUKKAMBULIYUR and KĀVERĪPAṬṬIṆAM. ### [v1.c22.s1.10](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.ghosh-1989.v1.c22.s1.10) The use of double moulds is also seen in the n. at AHICCHATRĀ, MATHURA, BHITA, BHITARI, etc., in the manufacture of the horse and elephant with or without riders in \*c.\* A.D. 500 to 650. These figurines were produced by pressing the two moulds on to the solid core of clay and were rarely made hollow. These figurines, with a minimum of detail and a slab-like appearance, have a similarity with those of Seleucia according to Agrawala, 1947-48. ### [v1.c22.s1.11](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.ghosh-1989.v1.c22.s1.11) Compared to the large quantity of the previous periods, in the period after 650 we get very few animal figurines, and those too crudely modelled. These are found at sites like AHICCHATRĀ, ATRANJIKHERA, PURANA QILA, RAJGHAT⁴, ANTICHAK, RAJBADIDANGA in the n. and e. and URAIYUR, KĀVERĪPAṬṬIṆAM, SANKARAM, etc., in the s. ### [v1.c22.s1.12](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.ghosh-1989.v1.c22.s1.12) \*Ind. Soc. of Oriental Art\*, 8 (for Mathura terracottas). Marshall, J., 1931, \*Mohenjo-daro & the Indus Civilization\*, London. Sankalia, H.D., 1974, \*Prehistory & Protohistory of India & Pakistan\*, Poona. Sankalia, H.D., & Dhavalikar, M.K., 1969, in \*Mārg\*, 23, 1 (for terracotta art). Subramanian, A., 1975, in \*Annals of Oriental Res.\* (for terracottas from Tamil Nadu). For sites see respective entries in vol. II.—D. DESAI ## Linked texts (35) - [Harappā](https://indike.org/pramana/inp.site.harappa) - [Mohenjo-daro](https://indike.org/pramana/inp.site.mohenjo-daro) - [Lothal](https://indike.org/pramana/inp.site.lothal) - [Kālībangan](https://indike.org/pramana/inp.site.kalibangan) - [Surkotada](https://indike.org/pramana/inp.site.surkotada) - [Alamgirpur](https://indike.org/pramana/inp.site.alamgirpur) - [Ahicchatra](https://indike.org/pramana/inp.site.ahichchhatra) - [Hastināpura](https://indike.org/pramana/inp.site.hastinapura) - [Kauśāmbī](https://indike.org/pramana/inp.site.kausambi) - [Atranjikhera](https://indike.org/pramana/inp.site.atranjikhera) - [Vaiśālī](https://indike.org/pramana/inp.site.vaisali) - [Pāṭaliputra](https://indike.org/pramana/inp.site.pataliputra) - [Nevasa](https://indike.org/pramana/inp.site.nevasa) - [Chirand](https://indike.org/pramana/inp.site.chirand) - [Gilund](https://indike.org/pramana/inp.site.gilund) - [Navdatoli](https://indike.org/pramana/inp.site.navdatoli) - [Inamgaon](https://indike.org/pramana/inp.site.inamgaon) - [Kāyathā](https://indike.org/pramana/inp.site.kayatha) - [Sanganakallu](https://indike.org/pramana/inp.site.sanganakallu) - [Prakash](https://indike.org/pramana/inp.site.prakash) - [Antichak](https://indike.org/pramana/inp.site.antichak) - [Tirukkambuliyur](https://indike.org/pramana/inp.site.tirukkambuliyur) - [Kanchipuram](https://indike.org/pramana/inp.site.kanchipuram) - [Rajbadi-danga (Jadupur)](https://indike.org/pramana/inp.site.rajbadi-danga-jadupur) - [Buxar](https://indike.org/pramana/inp.site.buxar) - [Ambkheri](https://indike.org/pramana/inp.site.ambkheri) - [Paiyampalli](https://indike.org/pramana/inp.site.paiyampalli) - [Uṟaiyūr](https://indike.org/pramana/inp.site.uraiyur) - [Masaon](https://indike.org/pramana/inp.site.masaon) - [Bhitari](https://indike.org/pramana/inp.site.bhitari) - [Purana Qila](https://indike.org/pramana/inp.site.purana-qila) - [Kulli](https://indike.org/pramana/inp.site.kulli) - [Śaṅkaram](https://indike.org/pramana/inp.site.sankaram) - [Bhita](https://indike.org/pramana/inp.site.bhita) - [Prahladpur](https://indike.org/pramana/inp.site.prahladpur) --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.ghosh-1989.v1.c22.s1](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.ghosh-1989.v1.c22.s1) · Pramāṇa