An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c23.s3.12

v1.c23.s3.12

Combs from the NBPW levels [4.18], all of ivory, have been found at PANDU RAJAR DHIBI, ORIUP, ROPAR, UJJAIN, NAGDA, NAGAL and PRAKASH. The specimen from NAGDA is squarish in shape, the lower half of the body decorated with concentric semicircles and circlets with dots all along the outer ring of the semicircles and parallel lines on the straight top portion. Of the three combs from NAGAL found in the NBPW and black-and-red ware levels one has similar concentric semicircles on the lower half of the body and is interspaced with circles formed out of circlets with dots, another a horizontal row of circlets with dots on the lower portion and the third a row of concentric circles with dots each capped by three vertically placed circlets with dots in the centre, the upper and lower portions having respectively closely and widely spaced parallel lines. The comb from ORIUP is interesting because of the shape of its top portion and contains a row of circlets with dots on the upper half. The ROPAR comb (Sharma, 1955 and 1956, p. 126) has one straight side and the other curved and has on the margin a double row of circlets with dots and is again of a singular type. The combs from UJJAIN are plain with a round top and the side teeth exceptionally thick. Identically shaped combs have been found in the first century B.C.-A.D. levels at Taxila (Marshall, 1951, pp. 655-6). The comb from PRAKASH is without any ornamentation and lacks finish unlike the other specimens. The comb from PANDU RAJAR DHIBI is not illustrated. Ivory combs have also been found in the NBPW and early historical levels of BESNAGAR (M.D. Khare, personal communication).