Mature Harappan Civilisation
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Questions and Answers

What was the characteristic of the settlements during the Early Harappan period?

  • They had large-scale buildings and a complex system of governance
  • They were characterized by the absence of agriculture and pastoralism
  • They were found only in the Gujarat region
  • They were small and had no large buildings (correct)

    • What is evident from the large-scale burning at some sites and the abandonment of certain settlements?

  • A gradual decline of the Early Harappan civilization
  • A continuous growth of the Early Harappan civilization
  • A cultural fusion between the Early Harappan and the Harappan civilization
  • A break between the Early Harappan and the Harappan civilization (correct)

    • What is the primary basis for reconstructing dietary practices of the Harappans?

  • Analysis of pottery and crafts
  • Studies of animal bones found at Harappan sites
  • Finds of charred grains and seeds (correct)
  • Excavations of large buildings

    • What type of specialists study ancient plant remains?

    <p>Archaeo-botanists</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following grains is found in relatively rare quantities at Harappan sites?

    <p>Rice</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of specialists study animal bones found at Harappan sites?

    <p>Archaeo-zoologists</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was found mostly in Mohenjodaro and Harappa?

    <p>Miniature pots of faience</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the purpose of the tiny settlement of Chanhudaro?

    <p>Craft production</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the material used to make beads that was easily worked and could be moulded into various shapes?

    <p>Steatite</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the technique used to obtain the red colour of carnelian?

    <p>Firing the yellowish raw material</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the purpose of the settlements of Nageshwar and Balakot?

    <p>Making shell objects</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is one of the best indicators of craft work?

    <p>Waste material</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How did the Harappans transport goods and people across land routes?

    <p>By bullock carts</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the source of lapis lazuli, a highly valued blue stone?

    <p>Afghanistan</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the location of the source of carnelian?

    <p>Gujarat</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the purpose of the settlements established near sources of raw materials?

    <p>Procuring materials for craft production</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What feature was present in every house in Mohenjodaro?

    <p>A bathroom paved with bricks</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How many wells were estimated to be present in Mohenjodaro?

    <p>700</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the significance of the Great Bath?

    <p>It was a ritual bath for special purposes</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What strategy do archaeologists use to find out about social differences?

    <p>Studying burial practices</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What indicates social differences in burials in Harappan sites?

    <p>Variations in burial pit construction</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a characteristic of 'luxury' artefacts?

    <p>Made from costly, non-local materials</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a type of artefact that is difficult to classify as utilitarian or luxury?

    <p>Spindle whorls made of faience</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Where are rare and valuable objects concentrated?

    <p>In large settlements like Mohenjodaro and Harappa</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was a distinctive feature of the Great Bath's construction?

    <p>Bricks were set on edge with gypsum mortar</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was found near the skull of a male in a Harappan burial site?

    <p>An ornament consisting of three shell rings, a jasper bead, and hundreds of micro beads</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What motivates Indian archaeologists to search for Harappan sites in India?

    <p>To compensate for the loss of major sites to Pakistan after the partition</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What has been a significant outcome of the surveys and explorations in Kutch, Punjab, and Haryana?

    <p>The revelation of a number of Harappan settlements in India</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a current area of focus in Harappan archaeology?

    <p>Understanding the functions of various artefacts</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What has contributed to the growing international interest in Harappan archaeology?

    <p>The use of modern scientific techniques in archaeology</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a benefit of the joint efforts of specialists from the subcontinent and abroad?

    <p>The promise of yielding interesting results in the future</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a characteristic of the ongoing explorations in Harappan archaeology?

    <p>The use of modern scientific techniques, including surface exploration</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the primary interest of Cunningham, the first Director-General of the ASI?

    <p>The archaeology of the Early Historic period</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did the Harappan seals discovered by Daya Ram Sahni and Rakhal Das Banerji suggest?

    <p>That these sites were part of a single archaeological culture</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the significance of John Marshall's announcement in 1924?

    <p>The discovery of a new civilisation in the Indus valley</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the limitation of John Marshall's excavation technique?

    <p>He did not follow the stratigraphy of the site</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the contribution of R.E.M. Wheeler to Indian archaeology?

    <p>He rectified the limitation of John Marshall's excavation technique</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the significance of the Chinese Buddhist pilgrims' accounts?

    <p>They helped locate early settlements in India</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did the Harappan artefacts found by Cunningham suggest to him?

    <p>That they were not significant</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the characteristic of the archaeologists who worked in India during the early 20th century?

    <p>They were mostly professional archaeologists</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why did Cunningham fail to realise the significance of the Harappan artefacts?

    <p>Because he was focused on the archaeology of the Early Historic period</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the impact of John Marshall's announcement in 1924 on Indian archaeology?

    <p>It made India three thousand years older</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the probable source of copper, as suggested by chemical analyses of Harappan artefacts?

    <p>Oman</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the significance of the thick layer of black clay coating on large Harappan jars found at Omani sites?

    <p>It prevents the percolation of liquids</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the name of the region mentioned in Mesopotamian texts, which is possibly the Harappan region?

    <p>Meluhha</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the significance of the depiction of ships and boats on Harappan seals?

    <p>It suggests that communication with Oman, Bahrain, or Mesopotamia was by sea</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the probable purpose of the seals and sealings used in the Harappan civilization?

    <p>To facilitate long-distance communication</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the characteristic of the Harappan script?

    <p>It has too many signs, between 375 and 400</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the material used to make the weights in the Harappan civilization?

    <p>Chert</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the characteristic of the lower denominations of weights in the Harappan civilization?

    <p>They are based on a binary system</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the significance of the finding of Harappan artefacts in the Khetri region of Rajasthan?

    <p>It suggests that the inhabitants of this region supplied copper to the Harappans</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the mythological significance of the haja-bird in Mesopotamian texts?

    <p>It is a bird whose call is heard in the royal palace</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the most likely explanation for the uniformity of Harappan artefacts?

    <p>The presence of a single ruler</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the significance of the stone statue labelled as the 'priest-king'?

    <p>It is a cultural parallel to Mesopotamian history</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the characteristic of the Harappan weights?

    <p>They were used for weighing jewellery and beads</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the timeline of the abandonment of most Mature Harappan sites in regions like Cholistan?

    <p>c. 1800 BCE</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the feature of the 'Late Harappan' or 'successor cultures'?

    <p>The disappearance of distinctive artefacts</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the likely reason for the collapse of the Harappan civilisation?

    <p>The collapse of the Harappan state</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the significance of the brick size in Harappan society?

    <p>It indicates the uniform ratio of bricks throughout the region</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the characteristic of the settlements in the Late Harappan period?

    <p>They were characterised by a rural way of life</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the significance of the seals in Harappan society?

    <p>They disappeared in the Late Harappan period</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the likely explanation for the absence of depictions of people in power in Harappan archaeological records?

    <p>The Harappan society did not have rulers</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is inferred about the Harappan agricultural practices based on the representations on seals and terracotta sculpture?

    <p>They used oxen for ploughing.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is unique about the urban centres of the Harappan civilization?

    <p>Their development of urban centres.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What can be inferred about the settlement of Mohenjodaro?

    <p>It was planned and then implemented.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a distinctive feature of the Harappan cities?

    <p>Their carefully planned drainage system.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What can be inferred about the buildings in the Lower Town of Mohenjodaro?

    <p>They were built on mud brick platforms.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why were houses built along streets with drains in the Lower Town of Mohenjodaro?

    <p>So that domestic waste water could flow into the street drains.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a characteristic of the residential buildings in the Lower Town of Mohenjodaro?

    <p>They were centred around a courtyard.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why were there no windows in the walls along the ground level of the residential buildings?

    <p>To maintain privacy.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is indicated by the finding of grain at Harappan sites?

    <p>The presence of agricultural technologies.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is suggested by the lack of canals at Harappan sites in Punjab and Sind?

    <p>Ancient canals silted up long ago.</p> Signup and view all the answers

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