Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c19.s6.t3: Semi-Precious Stone Beads
Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c19.s6.t3
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Semi-Precious Stone Beads
v1.c19.s6.t3.1
In all sixty beads of semi-precious stones have been recovered from different phases of Period IV.
v1.c19.s6.t3.2
The break-down of the beads according to the materials is
v1.c19.s6.t3.3
| Agate | - | 25 |
| Carnelian | - | 15 |
| Quartz | - | 8 |
| Jasper | - | 10 |
| Marble | - | 1 |
| Soapstone | - | 1 |
v1.c19.s6.t3.4
A few beads of carnelian and agate are etched. The two common patterns are: (a) pentagonal design with dots all over the body, and (b) elongated loops at alternate intervals within zonal bands at the margin. Besides these, thirty-three new types, beads having flat square-biconical sides with diagonal perforation, faceted decagonal with perforation near the tapering end, and long corrugated barrel elliptical, need special mention.
v1.c19.s6.t3.5
Stone Objects
v1.c19.s6.t3.6
Thirty-two stone objects and fifty-one broken pieces of sandstone have been recovered from the different levels of Period IV. The objects include animal figures, pestles, grinders, querns, disc, bead, bells and miscellaneous objects.
v1.c19.s6.t3.7
Percentage Composition of Slip Glaze and Core of NBPW
v1.c19.s6.t3.8
| Site | Specimen | SiO₂ | Al₂O₃ | Fe₂O₃ | Na₂O | CaO | Undeter-mined |
| Mathura | Slip glaze | 61.51 | 7.82 | 10.26 | 13.39 | 3.42 | 3.60 |
| Hastinapura | Slip glaze | 60.53 | 8.21 | 11.39 | 12.81 | 3.82 | 3.24 |
| Kausambi | Slip glaze | 64.26 | 7.24 | 8.38 | 11.73 | 2.64 | 5.75 |
| Mathura | Core | 64.78 | 27.62 | 1.21 | 0.39 | 0.52 | 5.48 |
| Hastinapura | Core | 64.89 | 26.92 | 1.48 | 0.72 | 0.64 | 5.35 |
| Kausambi | Core | 70.16 | 22.21 | 0.76 | 0.64 | 0.32 | 5.91 |
v1.c19.s6.t3.9
* As the slip glaze is very thin and much harder than the core of the pottery, the slip glaze sample analyzed were slightly contaminated with portions scraped from the core of the pottery.
v1.c19.s6.t3.10
Seventeen glass and five shell objects including a few indeterminate pieces were recovered from the various levels of Period IV. These include seven glass beads, three glass bangles, three glass weights and four indeterminate glass figures. Among the shell objects only three shell bangles and two indeterminate fragments of shells were found.