History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c12.2

v1.c12.2

During the Indus Valley Civilisation period (Harappa- Mohenjodaro culture), highly skilled industries producing on a mass scale bricks, huge water pots and jars, glazed pottery wares, clay bangles flourished. Hematite or manganiferous hematite was used as the colouring material and the tempering material with clay was mica, lime and sand and alkaline silicates probably produced by fusing sand and soda obtained from salt lakes of Rajasthan or rock salt of west Punjab were used for glazing. Light grey coloured gypsum cement made from gypsum, lime and sand was used in some of the buildings of the cities as mortar and plaster for painting walls. Copper and bronze were used in plenty for domestic utensils, axe-heads daggers, knives, arrow-heads, sickles, wires and rods and for bangles, and finger rings, etc. Copper sometimes, contained nickel and might have been extracted from copper ore of Rajasthan, or Baluchistan and Afghanistan.