An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c9.s7.28

v1.c9.s7.28

The Copper Hoard [4.11] and OCW cultures [4.12] present many enigmatic features. To deal with the OCW first. Its chief characteristics are that it is seemingly ill-fired and rubs off easily; the edges of the sherds are 'rolled', which is ascribed to the pottery having remained submerged in water for a long time (Lal, 1968, pp. 857-63), though prolonged exposure to wind is also believed to be capable of producing indentical results. Another feature is that at many sites the pottery is not found in regular layers but in an undifferentiated silty soil, perhaps another indication of flood. But there are sites in which this feature is absent; also at some sites the pottery is well-baked and bears black-on-red paintings. Such sites are LAL QILA in Dt Bulandshahr and JODHPURA in Dt Jaipur, the latter outside the focal zone of the OCW, viz. the upper Ganga-Yamuna doab. It has been thought that the sites with the Ware can be classed into (1) genuine OCW sites, (2) sites with Harappa (late Harappa?) influence, and (3) probable (late?) Harappa sites with OCW influence. To add to the complexity, Gaur, 1974, pp. 53-62, suspects Sothi influence in the Lal Qila pottery. All this is confusing enough, and it may not be unreasonably held that the identity of the OCW as a distinct and individual industry has yet to be established to everybody's satisfaction. (See *Purātattva*, 5, 1971-2, for the proceedings of a seminar on OCW.)