An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c25.s4.9

v1.c25.s4.9

The most common type of objects containing inscriptions in the Indus script is however the steatite seals and impressions of seals, generally on terracotta. The seals have the inscriptions engraved on them in the reversed direction in the upper register with the figure of an animal occupying the centre of the field. While the most common figure occurring on the seals is that of a unicorn with an 'incense-burner' or 'manger' in front, 'the other animals depicted on the inscribed objects include bull with two long horns (otherwise resembling the 'unicorn'), humped bull, short-horned bull, buffalo, elephant, tiger, rhinoceros, different types of goat-antelopes (with short tail) and ox-antelopes (with long tail), hare, crocodile (*gharial*), fish, tortoise, frog, serpent, bird, and different kinds of fabulous and composite animals' (Mahadevan, 1977, p. 9). Apart from the animals some of the seals/sealings depict the kino tree, pipal tree, pipal leaf, anthropomorphic figures, including a horned figure seated on a tree with a tiger standing on the ground below, a person grappling with two rearing tigers on either sides, sacrificial scenes and symbols like the *svastika* and dotted circle, cross-like motif and geometrical patterns.