Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c16.s3.t3.4

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)