Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c22.s1.2

v1.c22.s1.2

The coarse and soft lime *kaṅkar* and flint-like hard limestone were available in the nearby foothills and widely used as building materials. Apart from the local limestone, other hard stones used were: blue serpentine, *saṅ-i-abrī* or *abrī*, granite, basalt, quartzite etc. Many semi-precious stones were used, and these would be referred to later. *Abrī*, a lower cretaceous shell limestone of a variegated chocolate and yellow colour, and abundant in the Hazara and Attock districts, were used for bowls, cups and dishes in the Bhir Mound settlement only, up to about 200 BC. (Much later, in Mughal times, *abrī* became a favourite stone for the inlay-work on buildings and pavements).