Artifacts, Jethavanaramaya, Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka.

A magical incantation drawn on stone?

Engravings on stone for dice games?

Vertical etch marks on stone for keeping accounts?

Markings on stone for a donation?

The seven-headed cobra and dancing girls.

The 'Seven-headed Cobra' is much represented in stone carvings. It is claimed by some that a single headed cobra denotes a naga, a three-headed cobra represents a Naga Queen, a five-headed cobra represented a Naga King and a seven-headed cobra a Naga God. The Nagas seem to have played a very significant part in the Buddhist and Hindu religions in South Asia. They contributed much to the culture of the region thus the words 'Nagara' ('Naagar+aham' Dwelling of the Nagas), 'Naagariika' - to live like the Nagas, came into use. Their history is truly found 'in stone'. Genetically they contributed much to the present residents of the area. Nagas were claimed to be a mongoloid race. A yellowish skin color and a flat nose were their attributes. The fashion a generation ago of applying saffron ('Kaha' S- 'Manjal' T) to the skin by Sri Lankans maybe a bid to imitate the skin color. A flat nose did not contribute much to the beauty of the face. The habit of our grand-mothers of gently massaging and 'pulling the nose' of a new-born was an attempt to correct this anatomy, as embedded in our racial memory.