Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c16.s3.t3: Nasik
Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c16.s3.t3
- Language
- English
Nasik
v1.c16.s3.t3.1
It is an ancient town, situated on both the banks of Godavari. This Nasik town is also the headquarters of the district of the same name in Maharashtra.
v1.c16.s3.t3.2
Excavation here has mainly revealed four periods of occupation, among which Period I is Chalcolithic or Early Bronze Age, II is Early Historic Period, III is Roman Contact and IV is Early Muslim-Mughal-Maratha period. Now among these four phases, Period I is our point of interest which is dated 1500- Varieties of beads were found but the yield of beads at Nasik was not much. In all 160 beads were found in various phases of excavation. Out of these 53.1 per cent are made of terracotta. Next to it came crystal and then jasper. Other material and their numbers are agate-1, amethyst-1, blood stone-2, bone-8, carnelian-6, crystal-15, glass-7, gold 1, jasper-9, lapis lazuli-2, opal-3, quartz-8, shell-5, soapstone 1 and terracotta-85. The absence of unfinished beads or core lumps of different materials shows that Nasik was not a bead industry site at any time.
v1.c16.s3.t3.3
The remarkable feature of the terracotta beads is the range of variety in the basically areca-nut shape. These beads are found over a wide stretch of time at various sites from proto-historic times at Mohenjo-Daro to the Marāṭhā period at Nasik. Probably nowhere else except at Kosam in U.P. such a minute differentiation in the areca-nut shape is found as at Nasik.
v1.c16.s3.t3.4
Though carnelian and agate are found in the Deccan, the principal source is a village called Limodra near Ratanpura in the Rajpipla state of Gujarat from where the stones are sent for cutting and polishing to the lapidaries of Cambay. Cambay and Broach are well-known centres of bead industry since early historic times. So it is quite possibly that beads of carnelian, agate, jasper and blood-stone came to Nasik from Gujarat. This is further corroborated by the absence of unfinished beads or large cores of these stones at Nasik. The shapes of the carnelian beads of Nasik are common and the etched bead is exactly similar to one found at Taxila. In this context this is to be remembered that layers of Period II yielded 69.3 per cent of the total number of beads. (Sankalia and Deo, 1955: 86-93)
v1.c16.s3.t3.5
Bangles found at Nasik were either of shell or of glass. Out of the fiftysix specimens, thirtyseven were of conch-shell and rest of glass. These bangles are of both varieties — plain and decorated. Out of the nineteen fragmentary glass bangle pieces, sixteen came from stratified layers. All these were recovered from the two top layers in all the trenches, and hence can be ascribed to Period IV. Though bangles were known in Period II, not a single piece of glass bangle was found in this period. A single fragment of a black glass ring was found, but it could be ascribed to Period III. Besides bangles of glass, thirtythree other objects of glass consisting of discs, pieces of highly disintegrated glass and fragments were found. Among these, nearly half of the glass objects belong to Period II and nearly half out of these to sub-period A of the same. One of the weathered glass object has been carefully examined; the sample assays about 80.99 per cent silica, the soda lime silicates having been more or less completely altered as a result of weathering. Part of the silica is now present as chalcedony and opal.
v1.c16.s3.t3.6
Seven glass discs have also been recovered.
v1.c16.s3.t3.7
A variety of terracotta objects was obtained from excavation at Nasik. These include skin-rubbers, toys, figures, stoppers, wheels, crucible, stūpas and tiles. Most of these belonged to Period II. Among all these things our point of interest is terracotta crucible. Four terracotta crucibles with a blackish glossy enamel over both the inner and the outer surface were found. Out of the four, two are smaller and intact, and the other two bigger but broken. One belongs to Period IIA, one to IIB and the other two to Periods II-IV.
v1.c16.s3.t3.8
Besides a few coins, other objects of copper were Kohl sticks, a copper dish, a bangle, a ring and an unidentifiable object, probably a handle. The inhabitants of Nasik were not much accustomed with the use of copper during the advent of the iron age.
v1.c16.s3.t3.9
Comparatively a large number of iron objects were recovered. The objects that have been recovered from here are of domestic and non-domestic use. The objects are arrowheads, caltrops, choppers, tang fragments, axe blade, drill, chisel, cup, rings, nails and indeterminate. Nearly ninety per cent of these came from the two phases of Period II and quite a large number were heavily encrusted. According to the excavator, objects like caltrops, arrowheads, choppers, spearheads, axe drill should normally indicate that the occupants were persons who were concerned either with the preparation of tools and weapons (as ironsmiths) or with fighting (as soldiers).
v1.c16.s3.t3.10
Besides various types of shells, six objects made out of shell were recovered. About the bone objects, only a few were found and most of them were antimony rods. Only a single object of ivory was found and that is a dice. Steatite objects were also found; out of six, two are fragmentary.
v1.c16.s3.t3.11
Very few coins were found. Out of eight from the excavation, three are blurred and of little value. Of the rest, three belongs to the early historic period and the rest to the late historic. In most of the cases the material used was copper, only in one exception it was lead.