Question

Describe any three sources to know about the Harrapan civilization.

Answer 1

1. The Harappan seal: Harappan seals usually have a line of writing, probably containing the name and title of the owner. Scholars have also suggested that the motif (generally an animal) conveyed a meaning to those who could not read.
2. Faience Pot: Another strategy to identify social differences is to study artefacts, which archaeologists broadly classify as utilitarian and luxurious. The first category includes objects of daily use made fairly easily out of ordinary materials such as stone or clay. These include querns, pottery, needles, flesh rubbers (body scrubbers), etc., and are usually found distributed throughout settlements. Archaeologists assume objects were luxuries if they are rare or made from costly, non-local materials or with complicated technologies. Thus, little pots of faience (a material made of ground sand or silica mixed with colour and gum and then fired) were probably considered precious because they were difficult to make.
   
   Faience Pot
3. A Terracotta Figurine: In order to identify centres of craft production, archaeologists usually look for the following: raw materials such as stone nodules, whole shells, copper ore; tools; unfinished objects; rejects, and waste material. In fact, waste is one of the best indicators of craftwork. For instance, if a shell or stone is cut to make objects, then pieces of these materials will be discarded as waste at the place of production. Sometimes, larger waste pieces were used up to make smaller objects, but minuscule bits were usually left in the work area. These traces suggest that apart from small, specialised centres, craft production was also undertaken in large cities such as Mohenjodaro and Harappa.
   
   A terracotta figurine
4. Distinctive Artefact
5. Beads, Weights, Blades
6. Terracotta Bull
7. Copper Tools
8. Reservoir At Dholavira
9. A Terracotta Figurine
10. “Priest-King” Stone Statue