Ravi phase stone beads
Many broken and unfinished stone beads of carnelian (red-orange) and amazonite (blue-green) were found in the floor levels associated with the Ravi phase pits and hearths. (See also slide 119.)
HARP (Harappa Archaeological Research Project) a group of scholars from a variety of fields dedicated to advancing the study of the ancient Indus Valley civilization.
Ravi Phase Pit
During the Ravi Phase (circa 3300-2800 BCE) the earliest inhabitants lived in huts made of wooden posts probably covered with reeds and clay. They stored grain and other foodstuffs in small bell shaped pits that were plastered with fine clay.
Ravi Phase Floor
Excavations in Trench 39 South 1996 uncovered the floor of a house dating to the Ravi Phase (circa 3100 BCE). Many complete vessels were found sitting on the floor along with broken necklaces, bone and stone tools, spindle whorls and bangles made of
A small faience ram amulet
A small faience ram amulet recovered from the fill associated with the southwestern edge of the "granary" platform. (Trench 41SW, H97-3434/7650-01, Length = 21.8 mm)
Richard Meadow photographing
Richard Meadow photographs the excavations in Trench 54 from a tall bamboo ladder that is supported by four ropes. This ladder can be situated over any area of the excavations to obtain near vertical views of rooms and artifact scatters.
Ravi phase pit with trash and beads
This large Ravi phase pit was filled with domestic trash and some bead making debris. The broken amazonite bead in (8) can be seen just above the scale inside the pit to the lower right of the image.
Ravi Phase Pottery Fragments
All pottery from the first part of the Ravi Phase was hand built. Most of the forms were finely made shallow bowls, deep bowls, narrow-mouthed carinated vessels, or thick walled cooking pots.
The northwest corner of the "granary" platform
Excavations in 1997 at the northwest corner of the "granary" platform were undertaken to follow the outline of the structure and document its construction (Trench 1NW)).
Protecting mud brick walls
After mapping and photography, the fragile mud brick walls of Trench 54 are covered with a protective layer of burlap and sifted soil to form a sacrificial layer in which dissolved salts can dry and crystallize without damaging the ancient walls.
Microscopic analysis of bead drill hole
Scanning electron microscope photos of a molded impression of the drill hole indicate that the amazonite bead (8) was drilled with a tapered chert or jasper drill.