Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c16.s3.t3.5

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.