Indus and Prehistory MCQs

Measurement artefacts do support inference 2, but house plans cannot establish inference 3 about common property. Architecture shows how space was used; legal ownership arrangements require additional evidence.

Inference 1 is reasonable, but inference 3 overreaches the evidence of substantial individual houses. This option also omits the valid connection between standardised measurement and technical knowledge.

All three cannot be inferred because “common property” is not demonstrated by private wells, bathing platforms and courtyards. Do not turn an observation about building design into an unsupported conclusion about the ownership system.

Carnelian is a semi-precious stone widely used for bead-making in the Harappan civilisation, especially at sites like Chanhudaro and Lothal. The Dancing Girl figurine was not made of carnelian.

While the Harappans extensively used clay for making terracotta figurines, pottery, and seals, the Dancing Girl is a metal sculpture, not a clay object.

While gold ornaments have been found at Harappan sites, the Dancing Girl figurine is made of bronze, not gold. Gold was used for jewellery such as necklaces and bangles.

Chandraketugarh is in West Bengal, not Odisha. While Inamgaon is correctly identified as a Chalcolithic site in Maharashtra, the incorrect matching of Chandraketugarh makes this option wrong.

While Mangadu is correctly matched, Salihundam is primarily known as a Buddhist site with stupas and monasteries, not for rock-cut cave shrines. This makes the matching for row 4 incorrect.

Chandraketugarh is in West Bengal, not Odisha, and Salihundam is a Buddhist site rather than a rock-cut cave shrine complex. Both matchings are incorrect.

Burzahom in Kashmir is a Neolithic and megalithic site, known for pit dwellings and polished stone tools. It is not associated with rock-cut shrines, which are a much later phenomenon. This pair is incorrectly matched.

While Chandraketugarh is correctly matched with terracotta art, Burzahom is not known for rock-cut shrines. Burzahom is a Neolithic site famous for its subterranean pit dwellings.

While Ganeshwar is correctly matched with copper artefacts, this option excludes Chandraketugarh, which is also correctly matched with terracotta art.

Kalibangan in Rajasthan is known for its ploughed field, fire altars, and evidence of earthquake damage. While it had wells, it is not particularly noted for an elaborate water harvesting system.

Rakhigarhi in Haryana is one of the largest Harappan sites but is primarily known for its extensive settlement and recent DNA studies. It is not specifically famous for water management.

Ropar (Rupnagar) in Punjab was among the first Harappan sites to be excavated in independent India. It is situated along the Sutlej river and is not particularly known for water harvesting systems.

Chanhudaro is a well-known Harappan site in Sindh, Pakistan. It was excavated by Ernest Mackay and is notable for being the only Harappan city without a citadel. It was a centre for bead-making and craft production.

Kot Diji is a pre-Harappan and early Harappan site in Sindh, Pakistan. Excavated by F.A. Khan, it provided evidence of a pre-Harappan culture that preceded the mature Harappan phase.

Desalpur is a Harappan site in Kutch, Gujarat. It shows evidence of the mature Harappan phase and contributes to our understanding of the eastern extent of the civilisation.

Statement 1 is incorrect. Excavations at Harappan sites have not revealed grand palaces or monumental temples comparable to those found in Mesopotamia or Egypt. Public buildings existed, but they were civic rather than palatial or religious in nature.

Statements 1 and 3 are incorrect. There is no evidence of great palaces or temples, and the horse was not a significant animal in the Harappan civilisation. Horse remains are extremely rare and contested at Indus sites.

Statement 2 is correct. Archaeological evidence from Harappan sites, including terracotta figurines and seal impressions, supports the worship of both male and female deities.

This is incomplete. Statement 2 is also correct. Evidence of cotton textiles has been found at Mohenjo-daro, making the Indus civilisation among the earliest users of cotton in the world.

This is incomplete. Statement 1 is also correct. Unlike contemporary civilisations in Mesopotamia and Egypt, Harappan cities do not show evidence of large temples or an overtly priest-dominated society.

Both statements are supported by archaeological evidence. The secular character of the civilisation and the use of cotton textiles are well-established facts about the Indus Valley civilisation.

The area between the Jhelum and Chenab is the Chaj Doab, which did not host Taxila. This region lies further east of Taxila's actual location.

The area between Chenab and Ravi is the Rechna Doab in central Punjab. Taxila was located much further to the northwest near Rawalpindi.

The area between Ravi and Beas is the Bari Doab in the eastern Punjab. This is far from Taxila, which was in the northwestern part of the subcontinent.

This incorrectly matches Lothal with ploughed field. Lothal is famous for its dockyard, not for a ploughed field. The ploughed field was discovered at Kalibangan.

This incorrectly matches Lothal with ploughed field and Banawali with terracotta plough. The dockyard was at Lothal, not the ploughed field.

While Lothal-dockyard and Kalibangan-ploughed field are correct, this swaps Dholavira and Banawali. Dholavira had the large inscription signboard, and Banawali had the terracotta plough replica.

The elephant is depicted on several Harappan seals and terracotta objects. It was one of the recognisable animals in the Harappan artistic repertoire.

The rhinoceros appears on Harappan seals, indicating that the animal was known to the Indus people, likely found in the riverine environments of the region.

The tiger appears on some Harappan seals, most famously on certain seals from Mohenjo-daro. It was part of the fauna represented in Harappan art.

Rajgir is not associated with the Lion Capital of Ashoka. The Lion Capital was found at Sarnath, not Rajgir. Hence pair III is incorrectly matched, making this option wrong.

This excludes pairs I and II, both of which are correctly matched. Lothal is well-known for its ancient dockyard and Sarnath is where Buddha delivered his first sermon (Dhammachakkappavattana Sutta).

This excludes pair IV, which is correctly matched. Nalanda was one of the greatest seats of Buddhist learning in the ancient world, flourishing from the 5th to 12th century CE.