New type of Indus seal found in Mohenjo Daro?

[Guest guest]

Dear friends,

 

Although this article has a modest title, it presents two interesting issues:

the possibility of having a seal with NEW TYPE of Indus writing, and the feature

of a LION for the first time in an Indus-Sarasvati seal!

 

Carlos

 

 

http://regionaltimes.com/10mar2009/backpagenews/ar.htm

 

Archaeologists discontinue Moen-Jo-Daro drain work

 

LARKANA: Archaeologists digging a drain to protect the remains in the north of

DK-G area of Moen-jo-Daro from stagnating rainwater during rains have dropped

the idea to continue the work for fear that further excavation can damage the

underlying structures.

The Director of Project, Qasim Ali Qasim told media persons on Monday that at

square-34 of the first street, unusual phenomenon of a drain running in

east-west direction had been discovered. It was the first time that a drain in

this direction had been found in Moen-jo-Daro, he maintained.

A V-shaped sock-pit where both east-west and north-south drains were meeting had

been found and a single brick wall with good masonry was among the discoveries

near the triangular drain, he added.

Very close to just 1.5 metres deep, tiny beads of 3mm used in necklace and

terracotta figurine and human figurine with stretched legs and arms were

discovered from the site, he said. A rectangular seal with human forms making an

offering to a tree and a few characters of Moen-jo-Daro language inscribed on it

had been found. On the other side of the seal two persons were stripping someone

standing against a wall while another was offering something to a lion, Qasim

Ali Qasim said and termed them very rare discoveries. Dixit, an archaeologist,

had found one such seal in 1925-26, he added.

A gold bead recovered from the area was the second gold bead so far discovered

from the site. The first such bead had been discovered in 1964-65 by Dales, the

PD said.

" The area is rich in cultural material as we found remains and objects just at a

depth of 60 centimetres. Disc beads of 1 millimetre, agate and cardinal itching

beads were also found during the digging, " he added. The Project Director said

complete miniature pots, a crucible and eight-shaped grinding stone with four

legs, flower basket, girl's figurine and terracotta rattle were also among the

new discoveries. He said that due to lack of a modern laboratory, we are unable

to analyze a big bone obtained from the site. It needs pathological analysis to

ascertain either it is a human bone or animal's. " The bone may be of Indus

Ibex, " said the curator of Moen-jo-Daro but added it needed to be verified.

First time in the history of excavation of Moen-jo-Daro, an object of a sheep

with curved horns had been discovered, the curator said. The thick deposition

traced in the V-shaped drain needed delicate scientific study as the findings

could give an idea about the kind of food the residents of the ancient city had

been taking, Qasim Ali Qasim said.

He said he would contact the experts involved in deciphering the Indus script to

understand the characters etched on the seal as he had never before seen such

characters (connected to Indus Script) and the individuals along with the

offering pot before some tree and lion. He said that the presence of cultural

material had prompted him to stop digging and redesigning the drain for pumping

out rainwater from DK-G area.—Agencies