Terracotta tiles with only a foot of the sculpture fig. extant found in Mound B.
Sahni reported finds of Kushan period antiquities from the upper portion of Mound B. However, there is no mention of finds of tiles in his report in ARASI 1924-25 (see p. 78).
Vats provided a fuller account of the Historical Period (c. Kushan and Gupta) finds:
“In the high western part (PI. XXX, d, left back-ground) in square P 18/4, Rai Bahadur Daya Ram Sahni found, 6 ft. below the highest point of the mound, a few walls composed of brickbats of the Indus period taken from the site together with bricks of larger size, measuring 14 to 15 by 91/2 to 101/2 by 21/4 in. These larger bricks are assignable to the early Gupta period. Three feet lower down, he also found another structure of similar bricks, to which probably belonged three fragmentary terracotta panels in high relief figured in PI. LXXII, 52, 53 and 55. Of these. No. 52 (B404) shows the headless figure of a votary kneeling down in prayer, perhaps, before a deity whose right lower leg is all that now survives. Whether what hangs down from the votary’s right arm is the end of the scarf or some other part of the drapery is not clear. On the pedestal is shown a railing which, as I have pointed out elsewhere [footenote 1: Cf. p. 31 supra] had been a familiar motif in connection with sacred trees, as far back as the Indus period. No. 52 (B1686) is a headless female figure, who, to judge by the cylindrical drum (?) [mridanga) held between her hands, is a musician. She is standing behind a railing in an easy posture with the hips thrown out towards the right. The folds of her scarf, dhoti, and upper garment are clearly indicated. The third panel (No. 55) is very much mutilated and shows nothing but the legs of a standing figure.” (p. 137)
“Along with the above terracotta panels there were also recovered a number of bricks carved with full or half blown lotus rosettes, foliage, bead-and-reel motifs, etc. (PL LXXII, 45, 46, 54 and 60-62), three pottery spouts with narrow apertures ; and two small cast heads of terracotta (PL LXXII, 56 and 57). On the steep slope (PL XXX, a) opposite the door to the tomb of Naugaza Mr. Sahni recovered two more similar cast heads and a few carved bricks (PL LXXII,58 and 59). All the four terracotta heads, including No. 59 of which the headdress is lost and the left side repaired, appear to have been cast in the same mould. From the above finds it is evident that in early Gupta times the summit of this, the highest mound at Harappa, was crowned by some edifice or group of edifices which, like those on the highest eminence at Mohenjo-daro, [footnote 1: cf. M.J.G., pp 113-23] were presumably Buddhist” (pp. 137-8).
- Vats 1940, I, pp. 137-8.