Stages of faience tablet manufacture
Stages in the manufacture of faience tablets. First it is necessary to make the faience paste and the steatite molds. Then the paste is formed into a rectangle and impressed on both sides by the molds.
Harappa, Punjab ancient Indus civilization excavations, figurines, seals and other objects.
Building debris and rubbish
Deposits of building debris and household rubbish were discarded over the perimeter wall into the open area below and were retained by the curtain wall.
Excavation team
Excavation of the Late Harappan Period habitation levels was undertaken by the Harappa Project in 1996 in Trench 38 under the direction of Manabu Koiso, Japan (front left seated with red turban) and Field Director J.
Excavating a red stoneware bangle
Randall Law and Shamoon excavating a red stoneware bangle in Period 3C levels just below the surface in Trench 43.
Glazing faience
In order to glaze faience it must be fired at approximately 940 degrees Celsius for several hours. The red color of the glowing faience barely visible inside the canister indicates that this temperature has been reached.
Harappa phase ashy debris deposits
Ashy debris deposits continued to accumulate outside of the perimeter wall, covering the curtain wall. These date to the end of Harappa Period 3B and the beginning of Period 3C.
Cross-section through debris deposits
Cross-sections inside (top) and outside (bottom) of perimeter wall [250]. The wall itself, being of mud-brick, was heavily eroded, sometimes to a lower elevation than the adjoining more densely packed street debris.
Cemetery H house
Cemetery H house wall and floor level dating to around 1700 BCE Complete bricks used to make the wall indicates an active brick industry rather than the decline previously assumed.
Red stoneware bangle
Red stoneware bangle (H2000-4490/9843-01) with no inscription. The lack of inscription may indicate that this may have been a place where the bangles were stored prior to inscribing them for distribution.
Glazed faience tablets
Fully and partially glazed faience tablets and other fired objects could be examined after the fire had cooled and the canister opened. The steatite molds were also included in the canister to see how they would be affected by this type of firing.