476 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1937 



pictographic script above the animals has still to be deciphered, and of 

 this there seems little prospect until a bilingual inscription has been 

 found. We have great hopes that such an inscription may be found 

 at Chanhu-daro, or, it may be, in Mesopotamia, for we have undoubted 

 proof that the people of Harappa culture traded with Mesopotamia: 

 objects obviously made in that country have been unearthed at 

 Harappa and Mohcnjo-daro and a considerable number of seals like 

 those in our collection, and obviously of Indian workmanship, have 

 been found in the Sumerian cities. 



These seal-amulets were mostly carried on the person as amulets, 

 but that they were also used as seals is shown by a seal-impression, 

 which has on the back the marks of attachment to something, probably 

 a bale of goods. Another seal-impression, wliich had been carried 

 about a long time and so had been badly rubbed, shows two women 

 supporting a staff between them from whose top project the branches 

 of a pipal tree. This tree is still sacred in many parts of India. 



The pottery of the Harappa culture is easily distinguishable from 

 the wares of the Jhukar culture found above it. The designs painted 

 in dense black on a highly burnished red shp distinguished it from 

 any other pottery found in ancient India (pi. 6, fig. 4). A very 

 common motif is based on a series of intei-secting circles, on some of 

 the sherds hardly recognizable, but on others so finely painted as to 

 be almost mathematical (pi. 7, fig. 1). Tliis motif was used on both 

 large and small jars and Ls pecuUar to the Harappa culture. 



Another motif often used at Chanhu-daro, but rarely at Mohenjo- 

 daro, is a scene of peacocks en file, dra\^^l in a very sketchy way but 

 nevertheless quite recognizable. This design was very generally 

 used on the large jars, probably used for storing water, fragments 

 of which were found all over Mound II. These jars were carried 

 in rope slings suspended from the shoulders of the water carrier, and 

 on this account the designs had often been partially worn away by 

 the friction of the sling. Even quite small vessels were ornamented 

 with paint, even if only with a few bands of red round the shoulder. 



Certain small pottery vessels, all very much the same size and 

 shape, seem to have been supplied by shopkeepers to purchasers of 

 small quantities of cooking oil and the lilve, as at the present day. 

 Other small jars with extraordinarily narrow mouths once contained 

 an eye paint, which cosmetic was apparently used by men and 

 women alike. Of particular importance is the bronze cosmetic jar 

 with fluted sides, which is a notable feature of the Museum collection 

 (pi. 3, fig. 3). Here might be mentioned a rectangular sUp of red 

 ochre with a beveled end, whose shape makes it more than lilcely 

 that is was used as a face paint, if not actually as lipstick. 



The small cones of pottery or shell which were found in the Harappa 

 levels at Chanhu-daro are somewhat of an enigma. Very sunilar 

 cones served an architectural purpose at Warka, Ur, and other early 



