BRICKS, BEADS AND BONES

Chapter 1


Answer in 100-150 words 

1. List the items of food available to people in Harappan cities. Identify the groups who would have provided these. 

Answer:-  

                        Food                                               Groups who provide these food items  

(i) Products taken from plants                            Food gatherers 

(ii) Flesh and fish                                                  Hunter groups 

(iii) Wheat maize, millet, pulses,                          Agricultural groups

rice, and other eatable products


2. How do archaeologists trace socio-economic differences in Harappan society? What are the differences that they notice? 

Answer:- 

(a) Archaeologists trace socio-economic differences in Harappan society as follows:

    • Samadhi

    • Looking for "luxury".

(b) Archaeologists have noted the following differences in the socio-economic conditions of Harappan society:

    • In Harappan society, the dead were usually placed in pits. In some tombs the sacred spaces were lined with bricks.

    • Some graves contain pottery and ornaments.

    • In some cases the dead were buried with copper mirrors.

    • The arts are divided into two categories – utilitarian and luxury. Utilitarian objects are of daily use. These are made of common materials such as stone and clay. These are found in all settlements. Large settlements of Harappa and Mahenjodaro offer luxury goods. These are made of valuable materials such as feinches. Gold was also rare and valuable as all gold jewelery has been found at Harappa sites.


3. Would you agree that the drainage system in Harappan cities indicates town planning? Give reasons for your answer. 

Answer:- Yes, I agree that the drainage system of the Harappan cities indicates the urban planning. I can cite the following reasons in support of my answer.

    • When the drainage system was done, a plan was required for its implementation. It seems that drainage was laid first and then houses were built with the sewers. Every household was supposed to have at least one wall along a street to drain domestic wastewater into the street drain. The lower town plans show that streets and streets were laid out with an approximate grid pattern, intersecting at right angles.

    • It seems that human settlement was planned from the beginning. The city was limited to a constant area of platforms.

    • Bricks, sundried or baked, were of standard proportions. The bricks were four times the length and width and twice the height respectively These bricks were used in all the settlements of the Harappan civilization.


4. List the materials used to make beads in the Harappan civilisation. Describe the process by which any one kind of bead was made.

Answer:- 



Included in the gem making materials were beautiful red stone-like chameleon, jasper, crystal, quartz and steatite. In addition, copper, bronze, gold, shell, fench, terracotta or burnt clay were also used. The process of making gems varied according to the materials used. There were different shapes of gems. They did not make geometric shapes made of solid stone.
The nodules had to be chipped for making rough shapes. They were eventually rejected in the final form.
By firing the yellow raw material, the red color of chameleon was obtained. Grinding, polishing and drilling constituted the final stage. Sanhudaro, Lothal and Dholavira were famous for special drilling.


5. Look at Fig. 1.30 and describe what you see. How is the body placed? What are the objects placed near it? Are there any artefacts on the body? Do these indicate the sex of the skeleton?

Answer:- 

After viewing the figure, the following observations can be obtained:

    • The body is placed in a pit facing north-south,
    • Many graves contain pottery and ornaments that include jars.
    • Yes, there are jewelry on the body like bangles.
    • Yes, it alludes to the sex of the skeleton, Le. This is a woman's body.

It is concluded that there were significant social or economic differences between the people living within the area of the Harappan civilization. However, on the whole, the Harappans did not believe in burying valuables with the dead.


Write a short essay (about 500 words) on the following: 

6. Describe some of the distinctive features of Mohenjodaro. 

Answer:- Planned City: Harappa as a planned urban centre. It had two parts. One part of the city was small. It was built on a higher place.


The second part was relatively large. It was built on a lower site. The first part was designed as a castle and the second part was like a low city. The castle owed its height to the fact that it was built on a mud brick platform. It was surrounded on all sides by walls, and these walls separated it from the city below.

Low City: It was also a walled city. Most of the buildings were built on platforms.

In fact, these platforms were considered cornerstones. The construction of these platforms required a large amount of labor. It is clear that the settlement was first planned and then executed according to the construction plan. The quality of sun dried bricks or baked bricks also proves the idea of the plan.

All the bricks were of standard proportions. The length and width were respectively four times and twice the height of the brick. These bricks were used in the settlements of the Harappan civilization.

Drainage system: The drainage systemwas well planned. All roads and streets were laid out in a grid pattern. They intersected each other at right angles. It seems that the streets without drains were first laid and then houses were built with them. To provide domestic water flow, every house had at least one wall along the street.

The Citadel: There were many buildings in the citadel. These buildings were used for many special public purposes. The Warehouse and the Great Bath were the two most important constructions.


7. List the raw materials required for craft production in the Harappan civilisation and discuss how these might have been obtained. 

Answer:- 

(a) In the Harappan civilization, the raw materials required for the production of crafts were given as follows:

       • stones such as chameleon, jasper, crystal, quartz and steatite;

       • Metals such as copper, bronze and gold, and

       • Shells, feiches and terracottas, or burnt clay.

(b) The above raw materials may be obtained as follows:

       • They established settlements like Nageshwar and Balakot where shells were available. Other sites were Shortugai in remote Afghanistan, near the greatest source of lapis lazuli, a blue stone and Lothal near sources of chameleon, steatite and metal.000

       • The second way was to send expeditions to areas like the khetri areas of Rajasthan for coconut and South India for gold.

       • The third way to have contact with distant lands. For example, copper was brought from Oman, on the south-eastern tip of the Arabian peninsula. Mesopotamian texts mention contact with Meluhha, possibly the Harappan region. It is likely that communication with Oman, Bahrain or Mesopotamia was by sea.

8. Discuss how archaeologists reconstruct the past. 

Answer:- 

Archaeologists excavate sites of the ancient past related to culture or civilization. They look for arts and crafts such as houses, buildings, containers, ornaments, tools, coins, weights, measures and dolls.

Shells, bones, jaws, cadaver teeth and artifacts kept with these cadavers are also helpful to archaeologists. With the help of botanists and zoologists, archaeologists study the bones of plants and animals found in different places.

Archaeologists try to find the tools used in farming and harvesting. They try to find the signs of wells, canals, and tanks while performing the means of irrigation.

The sites show different levels for finding different items. These objects provide a picture of socio-economic conditions such as religious life and cultural life of people.

It helps to identify tools, unfinished goods, waste materials, centers of craft production. Indirect evidence helps archaeologists reconstruct the past.

Archaeologists develop frames of reference, best understood by the fact that the first Harappan seal could not be understood until archaeologists had a context where it can be placed in terms of cultural order and keeping comparisons with found objects found in Mesopotamia.

The examination of seals helps to construct an idea of the religious beliefs of the time. The seals show religious scenes. Some animals, such as the one-domestic animal, often referred to as the unicorn shown on seals, appear to be mythical, compound animals. In some seals, a figure is shown sitting with his legs crossed in a yogic pose. All of these represent the religious ideas of the time.


9. Discuss the functions that may have been performed by rulers in Harappan society. 

Answer:- 

There are different perspectives on Harappan society. One group of archaeologists suggests that there were no rulers in Harappan society and therefore everyone enjoyed equal status. The other group of archaeologists is of the opinion that there was no single ruler but several. The third theory seems the most appropriate. This suggests that whole communities are unlikely to be able to carry and implement such complex decisions.

Evidence shows that complex decisions were made and implemented in Harappan society. The extra general unity of Harappan art evident in pottery, seals, weights and bricks shows the intricate decisions.

The plan and layout of the city was prepared under the guidance and supervision of the rulers. Great buildings, palaces, forts, tanks, wells, canals and granaries were built.

Cleanliness was the responsibility of the ruler. Roads, alleys and drains were also built.

The rulers looked after the welfare of the economy. They inspired farmers to inspire them to increase agricultural production. They inspired artists to promote various handicrafts. Both external and internal trade were promoted by the rulers. The Ruler issued common acceptable coins or seals, weights and measures.

Rulers were expected to provide relief during natural disasters. During floods, earthquakes, and epidemics, the ruler provides grain and other food to the affected people. During foreign invasions, the rulers defended the city.


Map work 

10. On Map 1, use a pencil to circle sites where evidence of agriculture has been recovered. Mark an X against sites where there is evidence of craft production and R against sites where raw materials were found. 

Answer:-  (i) Sites of agriculture: Harappa, Banawali, Kalibangan, Mohenjodaro, Dholavira (Gujarat).

(ii) Sites of craft production: Chanhudaro, Nageshwar, Balakot.

(iii) Sites of raw material: Nageshwar, Balakot, Khetri.


Project (any one) 

11. Find out if there are any museums in your town. Visit one of them and write a report on any ten items, describing how old they are, where they were found, and why you think they are on display. 

Answer:- 


12. Collect illustrations of ten things made of stone, metal and clay produced and used at present. Compare these with the pictures of the Harappan civilisation in this chapter, and discuss the similarities and differences that you find. 

Answer:-


Type By- Bikash Bora 


Post ID:  DABP006812