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

A. Among the former may be specially mentioned fragments showing rosette
borders above floral scrolls, rows of circlets and naturalistically treated leaves
(B.B. 10, 18, 20, 22, 42; Pl. II). Bands of small shells in relief distinctly recall
a method of ornamentation to be found also at the great Dabar-kōt mound in
Northern Balūchistān.¹⁰

Several terra-cotta fragments include grotesque animals, portions of gro-
tesque elephants' heads, and a grotesque mask, perhaps from a vase (B.B. 3, 4,
8; Pl. II). Among moulds are found those of an enthroned female deity and of a
decorated jar (B.B. 34). The painted ware (see B.B. 35, 36; Pl. II) shows here,
too, mostly designs in black over red or pink bands; they include naturalistic
patterns of leaves and creepers as well as trellis and chequers, such as seen on
the 'early historic' pottery above referred to.¹¹ The extent of these two mounds
and the presence of several small ones in the immediate vicinity, as shown by
the sketch plan, make it certain that a considerable settlement must have occu-
pied the Bahūr site from early times down towards the close of the Hindu period.
Curiously enough, the site was said to be visited by many Hindus a day or two
after the annual Muhammadan pilgrimage to Panjpīr.

A long drive on the following day, combined with walks where the roads
along the irrigation canal banks had to be left, enabled us to visit a series of
mounds mainly to the south-east of Sahiwāl. The first near the village of
Sikandri, about 2 miles in a straight line from Sahiwāl, is very conspicuous,
rising to a maximum height of 32 feet above a debris-strewn area which
measures some 270 by 170 yards. The painted and moulded potsherds (Sik. 2,
22; Pl. II) showed close resemblance to those of the Bahūr site. Some frag-
mentary bricks of burnt clay had three parallel incised lines on one face,
evidently the mark of a brick-layer. A miniature brick, only 1¼ inches long,
probably meant for a toy, curiously enough exhibited the same mark.

On proceeding via Firūka to the vicinity of the village of Macharkhādī, some
7 miles distant, we found there a line of considerable mounds echeloned in a line
from north-east to south-west at intervals of about half a mile. Their heights
varied from 18 to 25 feet, and their lengths from about 200 to 250 yards. Here,
too, the incised-ornamented and painted pottery fragments (see M.K. 12; Fir. 4;
Pl. II) closely resembled in types the Bahūr ware. On the top of the northern-
most mound, where much of the mud-brick walls of dwellings had been exposed
by digging for manuring earth, it was possible in the light of the setting sun to
recognize layers of sun-dried bricks uniformly measuring 13 × 8½ × 3 inches.

Finally near the village of Kukrānī there was visited an extensive debris area
which, including flat ground, stretches for some 520 yards from north to south.