Around 1900 BC one can see a distinct change in the Harappan characteristics at the Harappan metropolitan sites. At Chanhu-daro, Jhukar and Amri one can observe this shift quite clearly.
A new pottery style emerges and the township shows degeneration when compared with the architectural excellence of the earlier period. The new type of pottery with buff color and red the cream slip is often referred to as the Jhukar group.
The pottery is ill fired, coarse and painted mainly with geometric motifs in black or purple. This is further followed by another group which is referred to as the Jhangar group who take to an entirely grey or black pottery.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
Similarly, at the citadel mound in Harappa the change is noted in the form of a new element which is referred to a; Cemetery H pottery. Besides the pottery there is a new feature of urn burials recorded in this phase and this led to the belief of an exogenous intrusion.
The ceramics are a red ware elaborately painted with black paints. Motifs like peacocks, bulls and papal leaves occur although in quite different combination e.g. leaves sprouting from horns or humps of bull’s tiny human figure lying supine in the stomach of peacocks etc. In the forms which are new one can see the footed vessel: with narrowed and cylindrical necks, coconut shaped ringed jars with lids and marinated jars.
The situation in east Punjab and Haryana is no less interesting. Here bordering Rajasthan (ire Haryana) occur several sites, which have mainly a rural character and only influence of Harappan ceramics, between 1900 to 1200 BC.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
These have been given such names as Siswal A, B, C & D or Mitathal depending on the region one is dealing with. There are some mud-brick structures also found in some of the sites but these do not compare with either Kalibangan (Rajasthan) or Banawali (Haryana) both being Harappan metropolis sites.