An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c24.s1.7

v1.c24.s1.7

*19.1.7 Mace-heads.* While copper specimens come only from Harappa, those of stone—alabaster, sandstone, cherty limestone and green-coloured stone—were doubtless used as weapons. Three shapes have been noticed: (1) pear-shaped, the commonest, as it was indeed in other ancient civilization (Marshall, 1931, p. 36); (2) lentoid; and (3) circular (Mackay, 1938, p. 460, where it is observed that the lentoid variety occurs at Susa and in pre-Dynastic Egypt but not in Mesopotamia). They are very suitable for hand-to-hand fight. The perforation is hourglass-shaped bored from both ends; they were probably lashed to a handle with leather thongs. 'The general type is widespread in time and space; it is found at Susa, in Egypt, in the Caucasus, and extensively in prehistoric Europe ... More distinctive is a bronze or copper mace-head of the late Harappa or Jhukar phase at Chanhu-daro' (Wheeler, 1968, p. 76).