Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c23.4

v1.c23.4

The Pre-Harappan site of Nal (Southern Baluchisthan) yielded 70 lapis beads — cylindrical, discoid and flat irregular hexagon. Besides, a few other sites of Pre- or Early-Harappan era such as Kulli, Mehi, Shahi Tump etc. also produced lapis lazuli beads up to 2300 BC; most of lapis used to go to Shahr-i-Sokhta and thereafter the Harappans took over the trade. Unfinished lapis beads were found at Chanhu-Daro suggesting local manufacture. Cuneiform texts from Mesopotamia lists lapis as one of the commodities coming from Meluhha, and therefore it is quite probable that the Harappans imported raw lapis from Afghanistan, and exported the processed items to Mesopotamia etc. Occasional use of lapis in some chalcolithic sites such as Ahar, Navdatoli, Nevasa and later at Taxila, Champā, Srasvastī suggest continued trade with Afghanistan.