An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c9.s6.t6.9

v1.c9.s6.t6.9

The pottery of the Neolithic folk is entirely handmade in the technique of the anvil and ḍabber [16.11] or of turning on a turntable. The surface treatment consists of burnishing, slip and dressing and roughening or rusticating. The inner surface of the pot when leather-hard is usually scraped with grass or any other abrasive material. Some vessels bear post-firing painting in red ochre in the lower phase and pre-firing designs in black or violet pigment, as at HALLUR, SANGANAKALLU and TEKKALAKOTTA, in the upper. In the lower Neolithic simple-smearing paintings are confined to the rim and spout. In the upper phase linear designs are adopted. Applied bands and linear incised patterns are also used. The pottery in general is grey and red in all variations, besides brown and buff. In addition a wheel-made black-on-red ware simulating the Jorwe Ware [11.11] is also found. SANGANAKALLU has a brown and black ware and a wheel-thrown white-painted black-and-red [11.1.5] ware is found at HALLUR and TEKKALAKOTTA; these are surely of Chalcolithic affinity. Pot forms are essentially utilitarian, but footed bowls, lipped and spouted pots resembling the tea-kettle from TEKKALAKOTTA and bell-shaped as also perforated vessels, etc., must have had special restricted functions. Certain pot forms also are due to the Chalcolithic influence. Mat impressions on pottery and woven split bamboo screens show the knowledge of weaving.