National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

'Rehilla Thē', a debris area thickly covered with potsherds just like a Turkistān
*tati*. The strata of debris from 6 to 10 feet thick, which are exposed in the steep
ravines furrowing the bank towards the river bed, proved clearly that the width
of the site must have been greatly reduced by erosion. The plentiful pottery
found here resembled that of Govindwāl in fabric and decorative style, a rich red
wash being often used in bands, as in G.P. 1, 17 (Pl. I). The fore part of a
vigorously modelled figurine of a yak-like animal is seen in the fragment G.P.
3. The general decorative style of all this ware is one which from my experience
elsewhere in the Panjāb may safely be attributed to medieval and later times.
Neither here nor at the other sites examined along the Beās did I find pottery
decorated with those neatly impressed patterns which my explorations along
the Indian North-West Frontier have allowed me definitely to associate with
the Buddhist period from the early centuries of our era onwards.

Exactly corresponding observations were made at a *thē* situated beyond the
large village of Māri Panwān about two miles north of Srīgobindpur. Here,
too, the area marking former occupation, and now measuring about 165 yards
from north to south, has been greatly reduced by erosion. This has cut the
ground into narrow tongues with sides falling off steeply towards the riverine
flat. Apart from red pottery closely resembling that of Govindwāl there was
found here a fine-textured mouse-grey ware. The decorated pieces, of which
M.P. 27, 30, 32, 50, 56, Pl. I, are specimens, show usually fine-lined incised
patterns or else are cast in moulds. M.P. 3 appears to be the fire-bowl of a
*buqqa*. Some figurines, like M.P. 2, of a dog or sheep, have been coated with
a white slip. Copper coins brought from the village seemed to belong to issues
of local governors of the Mughal dynasty. A low debris mound known as
'Ratta', about 2 miles to the west, is likely to have been occupied down to the
same late period as suggested by the pottery fragments like Ratta. 4–6 (Pl. I).

When, on November 16th, we proceeded up the well-marked old river bank,
where it curves away westwards to some distance from the present main bed,
we found a similar late date of occupation indicated by the remains of some
deserted riverine sites. Thus near the townlet of Kahnuwān there is to be found
a line of *thēs* skirting the old river bank and extending southward for upwards
of a mile. All along it potsherds with coarsely painted black patterns on red
ground, of the type already described, also with moulded, cut, and incised
decorations (Kah. 30, 31, w. 1, Pl. I) could be picked up in plenty. Fragments
of glazed ware found with them (Kah. 17) date unmistakably from Muham-
madan times. Some silver coins brought from this ground proved to belong to
issues of Muhammadan rulers of northern India, bearing dates in the first half
of the sixteenth century.