ARTICLE
Dancing Girl, Bhirrana
A potsherd dating back to the Mature Phase of the Harappan Civilisation, the Dancing Girl was discovered at Bhirrana in present-day Haryana in 2004–05. The visual characteristics of the Dancing Girl from Bhirrana, especially her stance, the tilt of her head and the positioning of her arms bear a close resemblance to the Dancing Girl from Mohenjo-Daro, making it the only known parallel, in any size and material, to the latter sculpture.
Engraved on red earthenware, the figure is shaped like an hour-glass composed of two triangles, her upper body represented by an inverted triangle, while her lower body is represented by an unturned triangle. Horizontal lines across these two triangles and slanting strokes etched across the lower triangle indicate her clothing. Her right arm is akimbo, while her left arm rests by her side, slightly away from her body. Some small, angled marks on her upper right arm might represent bangles. The lower half of the engraving is damaged and the missing portion has not been retrieved yet.
The discovery of the potsherd and the excavation of the site itself are of great archeological significance and included other important finds, such as as underground living pits, planned housing, copper tools and jewellery, terracotta cups and toy carts, steatite seals, biochrome pottery and beads made of semi-precious stones. These finds reveal continued occupation and activity in the region from the Pre-Harappan Phase to the Mature Harappan Phase, after which the site was abandoned.
Bibliography
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