[This and the next full page in the Sept. 20, 1924 issue were printed in sepia, preserved here in the images. This complete text across both full pages is given below.]
WITH HEADDRESSES RECALLING THE MEDIAVAL FASHIONS IN EUROPE: FIGURINES FROM HARAPPA PREHISTORIC INDIAN TERRACOTTA (SIMILAR TO SOME FOUND AT PATNA, IN BIHAR).
"There is a remarkably modern touch about many of these objects found the two newly discovered prehistoric sites in the Indus Valley, at Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa, described by Sir John Marshall in his article on page 528 of this number. The discoveries, as he points out, have brought to light evidences of a hitherto unknown period of primitive Indian culture, including a form of picture-writing quite new to archaeology. "The smaller antiquities from the two sites," says Sir John "comprise new varieties of potteries both painted and plain, some fashioned by hand, and some turned on the wheel, terra-cottas, toys, bangles, of blue glass, paste and shell, new types of coins or tokens, knives, and cones of chert, dice and chessmen, a remarkable series of stone rings, and, most important of all, a number of engraved and inscribed seals (illustrated on page 532). Iron does not occur at all, except in the latest deposits, and metal objects of any kind are scarce, particularly at Harappa . . . Notwithstanding that the curious ring stones mentioned above have been found in large numbers on both sites, the purpose to which they were put has hitherto quite baffled the ingenuity of the excavators, though Mr. Banerji believes that they were some way connected with the Bhartaris, or shrines of eternal fire. They are of all sizes, from that of a small napkin ring up to 50 Ib. in weight, and are made of various coloured stones or marble; but what is particularly curious about them is that in many specimens, the upper and lower surfaces are undulating. Another remarkable and significant feature at the Mohenjo-Daro site is the character of the burial customs. In the earliest period the practice was to bury tne body in a hunched position in a brick tomb (see page 529). Later on the custom obtained of burning the body, as is commonly done in India to-day, and depositing the ashes in a small urn which, alone with two or three others, was placed inside a larger round jar, accompanied by several miniature vessels containing food or raiment.” It is an interesting problem who these prehistoric people were, and whence they came. "Painted pottery and other objects somewhat analogous to those from Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa have been found in Baluchistan, and there are linguistic reasons for believing that it was by way of Baluchistan that the Dravidian races (thought by some writers to have been originally connected with the Mediterranean) entered India."