J. F. Campbell Collection > Memorandum on clay discs called "Spindle Whorls" and Votive Seals found at Sankisa, Behar, and other Buddhist ruins in the North Western provinces of India

of resemblance to those which Dr. Schliemann dug through at Hissarlik,
described at length in his work upon Troy. That is to say, it is generally
found in the case above-mentioned that the site has been selected on
account of some Kunker Hill which, rising out of the flat alluvial soil of
the Doab, offers a j)oint of vantage for the building ' of a fort or city.
Here, as at Hissarlik, these sites often bear the traces of several distinct
colonies. The mud buildings of one set of colonists have been razed by
their conquerors or successors to build thereon houses and temples which
have again been levelled to form the foundations of the habitations of
later settlers. The high mounds, on which part of the present town of
Kanouj is perched, is to be accounted for in this way, and there can
be little doubt that if shafts were to be carried through the ruins there,
after the manner adopted by Dr. Schliemann at Hissarlik, the traces of
.several distinct periods might he unearthed. What has been said of Kanouj
holds good in regard to Sankisa, Ramnuggur and other ruins. Much has
not yet been done to explore these localities, and the recent interesting
find of Mitra coins, reported by me to the Society, indicates that careful
investigation might prove remunerative to antiquarian research. The heavy
rains of India are, however, of much assistance in running amateur sections
through the ruins, and in exposing from time to time relics of more or less
interest. Amongst these may be classed the " spindle whorls" now to
be noticed, many of which together with coins, beads, etc. are collected and
set aside by the villagers as possessing some mysterious significance, and are
brought out for sale when the District Officer or some occasional visitor
camps near the place.
Of these clay discs and their stone prototypes four distinct classes
are to be noticed :
A. Terra Cotta Discs, plain and ornamented.
B. Ditto with a hole through the centre.
C. Terra Cottas " in tlie form of a top and the crater of a volcano"
(I use the words of Dr. Schliemann, Troy, p. 38 to describe these peculiar
specimens).
D. Clay Balls, plain and ornamented.
With respect to A, Clay or Terra Cotta discs, these were brought to us
in enormous quantities, and, if disposed to do so, we might have purchased and
carried ofi several elephant loads of this description of relic. At the time
I did not attach much importance to them, and am sorry now that no care-
ful selection was made of those bearing different styles of ornamentation.
They are all of red or black clay well baked. In size they vary from 1 inch
to 2 inches in diameter and are about i of an inch in thickness. The
majority of them bear a rough ornamentation at the edges only, see
Plate XIII, sketches 1 and 2. Others again show traces of more elaborate
design and workmanship. Some of these are figured in sketches 3 to 7.