Harappan seals.

Thousands of small stone seals of around 2500 BCE with enigmatic script and more than 400 pictographic symbols have been excavated from Harappa. Even though these were the first objects discovered in excavations at Harappa and Mohenjo-daro, the pictographic code has not yet been deciphered. Some experts believe that these seals could have been used as markers in trade, while others assume that some of these seals might have religious significance. The usual material for Harappan seals was steatite, a soft stone. These seals were emblazoned with animal figurines or sacred entities. These figures were located in the center of seals, and above them was a short line of Indus script writing. According to one view, these seals were used to stamp clay as a form of trademark for accounting purposes to indicate ownership. Stamped bricks were excavated from the Indus settlements, and the same way of stamping bricks is seen in present-day Pakistan. In another view, people relied on these seals to create protective spiritual amulets