Refers to the culture created under the Saisunaga dynasty (ca. 642-413 BCE) and the Nanda dynasty (ca. 413-322 BCE) in India. Information about this culture is found in later Vedic literature; metalwork, ivory carving, storied buildings, and craft guilds are mentioned. Very little remains of pre-Maurya date; some cyclopean walls, tombs, and minor antiquities such as terracotta reliefs and glass have been found. The cutting and polishing of hard stones reached a level of accomplishment in the 4th and 5th centuries BCE that was not surpassed in later ancient Indian art.
