1921.] Prehistoric writing in India and Europe. 283 
has been accepted as the more ancient Brahmi style. Similar- 
ly all the five =\ges given as the Libyan signs of dolmens,! viz. 
+f, ©, [] an are easily recognised in Brahmi as + (ka).! 
(kha), © (tha), 0? (ba) and © (tha). 
1e Brahmi forms we have been so long dealing with 
belong to the third century B.C. It might be carpe 
expected that at least stray evidences such as those of ¢ 
neoliths would be forthcoming showing the persistence of the 
linear type in India from the remotest antiquity. Thanks to 
the courtesy of the Archaeological department and the facili 
ties afforded by Pandit B. K. Bidyabinode, Asst. Curator, and 
Prof. D. R. Bhandarkar, officer-in-charge, Indian Museum, I 
happened to light some time ago on a very interesting piece of 
pottery bearing a continuous script, which was of an archaic 
character. It is a very small neeen cup from Bhita, bearing 
Catalogue No. 97 N.S. 1050, and comes from a floor level 
‘which could hardly be later hia 8th century B.C.” e 
letters are continuous and bebo round the vessel just below 
the slightly projecting upper ring. Some of them have disap- 
peared through a portion having been broken off, but no less 
than 15 characters remain, and what is remarkable is that 
though a Brahmi-like style of writing is at once evident, most 
of them do not approach any Braéhmi form so much as linear 
peak nay, of the Mediterranean area. The letters appear 
thu 
ND P PRU N 
: oO A AEs 8 
1 is4is 2 Wl 
Of these sign No. 1 resembles a Bréhmi‘a’. But it sn ah 
have more nearly belonged to the class of signs ek esente 
in Hoerne’s and Petrie’s tables along with * K’ which appears 
Letonrneau-Les signes libyques des Fe, Holt de la Soc.d’ Anth- 
ropolodie as Paris, 1896 
Pp. sale 
Archaeological Survey of ‘India, Annual Report, 1911 vali 
