Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c19.s3.1

v1.c19.s3.1

The earliest cultural deposit lying immediately above the natural soil is associated with the Ochre Colour Pottery. There was no sign of regular habitation, such as marks of burnt organic material, floor levels etc. An analysis of the soil containing the OCP indicates that the area had been flooded by the river and remained water-logged for a considerable period. This period is often met with sandstone and quartzite pieces (some being fragments of querns and pestles), a terracotta bead (?), a sling ball (?), a potter's dabber and two pottery discs. The stone pieces that were recovered in course of excavation are indeterminate in shape. The querns appear to have been rather shallow with sagger base. Among the terracotta objects only five such objects have been recovered from the deposit of Period I. The objects are a sling ball, a perforated pottery disc, another pottery disc, and an indeterminate object probably a bead or pendant.