History of Chemistry in Ancient and Medieval India, Incorporating the History of Hindu Chemistry by Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray c12.12

c12.12

We shall consider the pottery first. The pottery of the Indus Valley sites is for the most part plain; produced on a mass scale on a rapidly spinning potter’s wheel, for purely utilitarian purposes. It has got a particular type of characteristic of its own. This generally consists of a platter on a raised foot; usually described as an “offering stand”. Potters’ kilns have also been found within the residential areas of the city of Mohenjo-daro at its latest phase. These are circular in shape. The stoke-hole and furnace lie beneath a perforated floor, originally covered by a domed roof. Decorated and painted potteries were also made by the Harappan workers. These contain black designs painted on a deep red, lustrous slip The wares are of black-on-red type reminding strongly of a connection with the North Baluchistan wares—and also show striking similarities with the Kulli style painting of the South Baluchistan wares Some true polychrome potteries of exceptional variety have been found at Harappa and Mohenjo-daro These are painted in red and green on a buff slip and are possibly related to the polychrome wares of the Nal Culture of South Baluchistan *Cf* Fig. 7 (*a*, *b*, *c* and *d*) and Fig 8 (*a* and *b*)