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Question
Explain the strategies for procuring materials by the Harappans for the craft production.
Solution
Harappans procured materials for craft production in various ways:
a. They established settlements such as Nageshwar and Balakot in areas where shells were available.
Other such sites were Shortughai in far-off Afghanistan, near the best source of lapis lazuli (highly valued blue stone), and Lothal which was near the sources of carnelian (from Bharuch in Gujarat), steatite (from south Rajasthan and north Gujarat) and metal (from Rajasthan).
b. The other strategy for procuring raw materials was to send expeditions to areas such as the Khetri region of Rajasthan for copper and South India for gold. These expeditions established communication with local communities. There is evidence in the Khetri area for what archaeologists call the Ganeshwar–Jodhpura culture, with its distinctive non-Harappan pottery and an unusual wealth of copper objects. Perhaps the inhabitants of this region supplied copper to the Harappans.
