Harappan Civilization: Material Culture
Test your knowledge of the Indus Valley Civilization's archaeological discoveries including bricks, beads, bones, tools, and everyday artifacts.
Questions
Bones of which of the following animals were not found at Harappan sites?
- Pig
- Buffalo
- Goat
- None of these
Which of the following distinctive objects were not discovered from within a specific geographical of the site?
- Beads
- Weights
- Backed bricks
- Steel blades
Bricks used at Harappan settlements bore a standardised ratio regarding their shapes and sizes. Which of the following is correct in this context?
- Length and breadth were four times and twice the height respectively.
- Length and breadth were three times and 1½ times the height respectively.
- Length and breadth were 3½ times and twice the height respectively.
- Length and breadth were five times and twice the height respectively.
Bones of the following wild species indicate that Harappans either hunted these animals or procured meat from hunting communities. Which of the following is not included in them?
- Deer
- Gharial
- Lion
- Fish
Which of the following is not a feature of saddle quern?
- They were made of sandstones.
- Their bases were usually flat.
- They consisted of one base stone and another pounder.
- They were used for grinding grains, herbs and spices.
Who among the following was the first Director General of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)?
- John Marshal
- REM Wheler
- Alex Cunningham
- General Everest
Given below are the features of the 'Great Bath'. Which of them is incorrect?
- It was a large circular tank in a courtyard.
- There were rooms on three sides and a large well in one room.
- There was a smaller building with eight bathrooms.
- The uniqueness of the structure suggests that it was meant for some special ritual bath.
Which of the following is not a feature of burials found in Harappan sites?
- The dead were generally laid in pits.
- The pits were of identical style.
- Some graves contained pottery and ornaments.
- Some dead were buried with copper mirrors.
Which of the following statements are incorrect?
(1) Indus Valley Civilisation was contemporaneous with Mesopotamia.
(2) Steatite (used for making beads) was sourced from Bharuch.
(3) Weights used in those times were made of iron and had hexagonal shape.
(4) Chinese pilgrims visited ‘Harappa’.
(5) The study of earth’s layers is called stratigraphy.
- Only 1, 2 and 3
- Only 2 and 3
- Only 2, 3 and 5
- Only 2, 3 and 4
An enigmatic script was found to be written on
- seals
- jewellery
- copper tools
- all of the above
Identify the following statements as True (T) or False (F).
(a) Traces of canals have been found at Harappan sites.
(b) The first site to be discovered was Mohenjodaro.
(c) Harappan cities had well planned drainage system.
(d) Shortughai, the best source of Lapis Lazuli, was in Oman.
(e) Metal scale-pans have been found at the sites.
- TTFFT
- TFFTT
- TFTFT
- FTFTT
Which of the following pairs is incorrectly matched?
- Dholavira – a Harappan settlement
- Unicorn – a one-horned animal
- Parshupati – a lord of animals
- Faience – a metal for pots
There occurred a transformation of material culture in Harappan sites over time. Which of the following brought about these changes?
- Climate change
- Deforestation
- Excessive floods
- All of the above
The beads discovered from Harappan sites were found to be having numerous shapes. Which of the following is incorrect in this context?
- Disc
- Spherical
- Elliptical
- Cylindrical