Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c15.s3: Beads at Ahar
Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c15.s3
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Beads at Ahar
v1.c15.s3.1
The total yield of beads at Ahar was 191, of which 109 were made of terracotta. It is generally found that the beads show a concentration mostly in Phase Ib and Ic whereas none of the sub-phases of Period II shows much use of beads. The bead materials were mainly agate, bone, calcite, carnelian, crystal, faience, glass, jasper, lapis lazuli, schist, shell, steatite and terracotta. Except lapis lazuli, all other rocks are locally available in Rajasthan. In spite of that it is found that the people of proto-historic Ahar seem to show predilection for the use of terracotta. The range of raw materials used and the shapes executed bring out certain characteristic of the bead-making industry in proto-historic Ahar. The selection of material, the method of perforation, the mode of decorating the surface of beads and the exquisite polish in some cases are noteworthy.
v1.c15.s3.2
The beads of Ahar display a few noteworthy features. The first and foremost is the abundant use of terracotta as the material for beads in all the phases of occupation. This preference for clay seems to be intentional when we take into consideration the fact that these incised terracotta beads are so far unique in India. Possibly on clay alone, the patterns familiar to the inhabitants could be easily copied. More or less exactly similar and in eight cases identical pattern are reported from Western Asia. Secondly, faience and steatite, which are the materials *par excellence* so far as proto-historic habitation are concerned, are represented meagerly at Ahar. Thirdly, the collection of beads in semi-precious stones does not show any unusual feature either of shape or technology, and lastly it appears that at least shell beads were made locally. The schist beads were also probably made on the site.
v1.c15.s3.3
The range of terracotta objects at Ahar comprised of beads, skin-rubbers, head-scratchers, figurines, toys, stoppers, discs, wheels, ear-studs, votive tanks, lamps, crucibles and bangles. This attests to the large scale use of clay for various objects in proto-historic and early historic Ahar. Regarding crucibles, one piece each came from the horizons of Period Ib and Ic. One of them is with high straight sides, hollow cylindrical interior, pointed external bottom and external surface, coated with glass or possibly faience. The other one is a complete specimen with conical body, irregular periphery.
v1.c15.s3.4
The use of carnelian beads continued from the Phase Ib to Ic. Similarly, faience, schist and shell beads continued to be used.
v1.c15.s3.5
There was not much evidence of the use of glass in the different phases of occupation at Ahar. However, the shells and shell objects were much more in quantity than the object of glass. Glass was represented by four pieces of bangles, all of monochrome category. Of the four pieces, two came from phase Ic and two were surface collections. The range of colours employed in the make up of glass bangles comprised of turquoise blue, sea green and milky white. The bangle pieces are covered with a whitish filmy patina. Glass, though technically reported from the horizons of Phase Ic, is better assigned to Period II.
v1.c15.s3.6
The objects of shell comprised of bangles and ear-studs. Altogether, thirty-five fragments of bangles were found. It is probable that shell bangles were made locally at Ahar as is attested by the file-abrasions on the bangles and numerous waste pieces of the columela of shells. However, most of the bangles are plain except a group of three pieces which show grooved exterior, and one having a channel section, probably so made as to accommodate gold leaf between the ridged margins of the exterior surface. It may incidentally be noted that similar bangles with gold leaf are even now in use in Rajasthan.