An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c24.s1.1

v1.c24.s1.1

*19.1.1 Swords or dirks.* Marshall, 1931, p. 35, was of the view that there were no swords in the Harappa civilization [4.9], probably basing his conclusion on the fact that the discovered blades were thickened in the middle and had blunt blades, thus making them ineffective for being thrust into the body of the enemy. However in 1930-1 were found double-edged swords in a hoard (Mackay, 1938). One of them, 40 cm in length and with a maximum thickness of 10 mm, has two rivet holes at the junction of the blade and the rectangular tang with its thickest part 17 mm wide. Another piece in the same hoard, about 46 cm long and 17 mm thick at the junction of the blade and the tang, also has two rivet holes, slightly chamfered, piercing the blade close to the tang, and has a stout medial rib on both sides of the blade. It was probably used for slashing and not for thrusting. Another broken copper casting appears to be the point of an unfinished sword. All these three, along with another of a similar type with a slight medial thickening and diamond-shaped section, probably represent short swords or dirks. Considering their foreign affinities Mackay, 1938, p. 467, observes that in India, Sumer and Palestine the short sword was used as early as or before 2500 B.C. [the date of course depending on the date of the Indus civilization itself].