Indus Valley — Set 1

Correct Answer: C. Radiocarbon Dating (C-14)

• **Radiocarbon (C-14) Dating** = measures decay of carbon isotopes in organic material — most accepted scientific method. • **2500–1750 BCE** — mature/urban phase of Indus Valley Civilization as dated by C-14. • IVC is also placed ~3300 BCE (early phase, Mehrgarh) to ~1300 BCE (late/decline phase). • 💡 Stratigraphy alone can't give absolute dates; Uranium dating is for rocks, not artifacts; Written records don't exist for IVC.

Correct Answer: C. Iron

• **Iron** = NOT known to IVC people; they were a **Bronze Age** civilization (copper + tin = bronze). • Iron Age in India began ~1000 BCE with Painted Grey Ware (PGW) culture — centuries after IVC declined. • IVC used copper from Khetri (Rajasthan) and bronze for tools, weapons, and the Dancing Girl statue. • 💡 Silver, Copper, Gold — all found at IVC sites; only Iron is absent, making it the correct 'NOT known' answer.

Correct Answer: C. Wheat and Barley

• **Wheat and Barley** = main staple crops of IVC; evidence found at Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro granaries. • IVC also grew **sesame, mustard, peas, cotton** — cotton cultivation is world's oldest at Mehrgarh. • **Rice** traces found only at Lothal and Rangpur (Gujarat) — not the main crop elsewhere. • 💡 Corn/Maize is American; Sugarcane not primary; Rice was regional — Wheat+Barley is the correct universal IVC answer.

Correct Answer: A. Steatite

• **Steatite (soapstone)** = soft stone used for ~2,500+ IVC seals; hardens upon heating/firing. • Seals are **square/rectangular**, depict unicorn (most common), bull, rhino with undeciphered Indus script above. • Seals were likely used for trade/commerce — similar to stamps or ID tokens for merchants. • 💡 Iron = not known to IVC; Copper = used for tools not seals; Terracotta = used for figurines, not majority of seals.

Correct Answer: A. Mehrgarh

• **Mehrgarh** = world's first evidence of cotton cultivation (~6000–7000 BCE), pre-Harappan Neolithic site. • Located in present-day **Balochistan, Pakistan** on the Bolan River; excavated by Jean-François Jarrige (1974). • Mehrgarh also shows earliest evidence of dentistry and farming in South Asia. • 💡 Kalibangan = ploughed field; Lothal = rice + dockyard; Ropar = dog burial — none gave first cotton evidence.

Correct Answer: C. Grid system

• **Grid system** = streets cut at right angles (90°), dividing cities into rectangular blocks — unique for 2500 BCE. • Cities had **two distinct zones**: raised Citadel (west) for elite/public buildings + Lower Town (east) for commoners. • Standardized **burnt bricks** in ratio 1:2:4, covered drains, wells in almost every house. • 💡 Zig-zag, Circular, Unplanned — none describe IVC; Grid planning is the defining feature that amazes archaeologists.

Correct Answer: B. Unicorn (mythical)

• **Unicorn (one-horned mythical bull)** = most depicted animal on IVC seals; found on ~60% of all seals. • Unicorn seals show a pipal-leaf motif or a ritual vessel in front — suggesting religious ceremony. • **Humped Bull (Zebu)** = second most depicted; **Elephant, Rhino, Tiger, Buffalo** also appear on seals. • 💡 Cow = not depicted; Lion = absent from IVC seals entirely; Horse = not common/shown in IVC art.

Correct Answer: C. Burnt bricks

• **Burnt bricks** = primary building material; uniform ratio **1:2:4** (thickness:width:length) across all IVC cities. • No contemporary civilization (Egypt, Mesopotamia) used standardized burnt bricks so extensively. • Houses had **inner courtyards, wells, bathrooms, drains** — showing sophisticated urban living. • 💡 Stone = used only at Dholavira; Bamboo/Mud = temporary materials, not standard for IVC urban homes.

Correct Answer: C. Dholavira

• **Dholavira** = Kutch (Rann of Kutch), Gujarat — divided into **3 parts**: Citadel, Middle Town, Lower Town. • Famous for **10-letter Indus script signboard** (gypsum inlay) — longest IVC inscription found. • **Elaborate water management**: 16 reservoirs, dams, canals cut into rock — crucial in arid Rann of Kutch. • 💡 Kalibangan = Rajasthan on Ghaggar; Ropar = Punjab; Harappa = Pakistan on Ravi — none are in Kutch/Gujarat.

Correct Answer: D. Kalibangan

• **Kalibangan** = 'Black Bangles' site in Rajasthan (Ghaggar river); yielded world's earliest ploughed field evidence. • Furrow pattern shows **mixed cropping** (two crops in same field) — still practiced in Rajasthan today. • Kalibangan also has **fire altars**, pre-Harappan evidence, and evidence of a 2600 BCE earthquake. • 💡 Mohenjo-Daro = Great Bath/Granary; Harappa = Granary/Ravi river; Lothal = port/dockyard — none have ploughed field.