CBSE Questions for Class 8 General Knowledge Ancient Indian History Quiz 5 - MCQExams.com

Fire altar was from the Harappan period, similar to those at Lothal, not pre-Harappan period.

The lower town was a fortified parallelogram. The Fort was made of mud bricks and three or four structural phases have been recognized.  It had north and west gates.

Hydrological evidence suggests the abandonment of the Mature Kalibgan settlement took place on account of drying up of the Saraswati (Ghaggar). This theory was established by the work of Raikes who was Italian Hydrologist and his Indian collaborators.

According to B.B. Lal, the former DG of ASI, the Kalibgan had given the pieces of evidence of the earliest ploughed agricultural field ever revealed through an excavation.

Most Jorwe culture sites were abandoned around 1000 BCE, possibly due to famine or drought, and the remaining sites show signs of increased poverty until their abandonment in c. 700 BCE.

There were no evidence of sudden abandonment, it was a gradual process.

The answer is D as it is not correct.

According to B.B. Lal, the former DG of ASI, the Kalibgan had given the evidence of the earliest plowed agricultural field ever revealed through an excavation.

It shows a grid pattern of furrows, placed about 30 cm apart running east-west and other spaced about 190 cm apart running north-south, a pattern remarkably similar to the one practiced even now. Even today, similar plowing is used for two simultaneous crops in this region, esp. of mustard and gram.

• A Harappan site being surrounded by flood barriers in order to protect it with the aid of UNESCO funds is Mohenjo-Daro.
• Mohenjo-Daro- The Archaeological Ruins at Mohenjo-Daro are the best preserved urban settlement in the Indian sub-continent dating back to 3000-2000 BC.
• The foundations of the harappan site Mohenjo-Daro was threatened by saline action due to a rise of the water table of the Indus River. This was the main theme of UNESCO international campaign in the 1970s.
• The international campaign and aid of UNESCO had partially mitigated the attack on the mud brick buildings.
• The Archaeological Ruins at Mohenjo-Daro are being protected by National and Regional laws as well.
  

• The majority of the beads during the harappan period were made of steatite.
• The beads were made up of several rock materials like lapislazuli, serpentine, shell, steatite, agate, alabaster, carnelian, faience, jasper, terracotta, and turquoise.
• Several terracotta figurines have been excavated from harappan sites. Some of the examples are mother goddess, toys, animal figures like monkey,bull etc.
• The terracotta figurines of harappan times were modeled with great details of eyes, hand and neck.

• Seals indicate the commercial and economic development of Harappan civilization.
• They were largely used for trading activities during harappan period.
• They were made of soft rock material like steatite, soapstone, terracota and metals like copper.
• Some seals were found in the Mesopotamian sites with Indus script on them.
• They were used in trade for authentication purposes.

• The Indus Valley people traded with the Mesopotamians.
• Mesopotamia of harappan times is now Iraq and Kuwait.
  
• The composition of trade was almost exclusively to luxury goods like spices, textiles and precious metals.
• Mesopotamians didn't have many natural resources. So, they depended mostly on the trade to get what they wanted.
  
• Parthians are the ones who ruled in NW frontier India during later ancient period of India.

• The archaeological finds from Alamgirpur in Meerut district reflected the Harappan culture.
  
• Alamgirpur was discovered in 1959.
  
• This site shows the presence of Harappan civilization to the east of Yamuna river.
• It was the eastern most territory of the Indus valley civilization.
• Vedic Culture started in Indian sub-continent from 1500 BC onwards.

• Nearly 2800 Harappan sites have so far identified in the sub-continent.They relate to the early,mature and late phases of the harappan culture.
  
• The area occupied by the Harappan civilization formed a triangle with area accounted for about 1,299,600 sq.km.
• No other culture zone is as widespread as harappan civilization even during the third and second millennia BC.
• Harappans in Gujarat produced rice and domesticated elephants which was not the case with mesopotamians.
  

• Proto-history has not been defined clearly and its period has also differed from country to country.

• Proto-history has been generally accepted that it is that part of history about which we have found no written record in any form.
• In Indian history, we accepted proto-history as the period when people began producing cereals.
• Cereals have been found in the harappan sites during excavations..
• Hence, Harappan civilization falls under the proto-history period.
  

• The famous Bull-seal of Indus Valley Civilization was found at Harappa site.
• The Bull-seal is known to be dated back to around 2200-2500 BC.
• Seals were extensively used as an authentication mechanism during the trade of goods by the harappans.
• The Pashupati seal was found in the harappan site of Mohenjo-Daro.
• The Dockyard was excavated in the harappan site of Lothal.
• The Carnelian beads were found in the site of Chanhudaro.
  

• Pillars construction is not known to harappans.
• Archaeological excavations clearly shows the construction of wells in public areas harappan sites.
• Drains were found to be very well planned. They were built in rectangular patterns and were covered as well.
• Arches supported by brackets projecting from the wall were found in harappan sites. This type of arch technique is known as corbel vaulting.

• Remains of wells were found in the city of Mohenjo-Daro.
• There were large networks of wells found at Mohenjo-Daro.
• In Mohenjo-Daro, broad main roads & drainage system was found which connected every house.
• The Archaeological Ruins at Mohenjo-Daro are the best preserved urban settlement in the Indian sub-continent dating back to 3000-2000 BC.

• Mohenjo-Daro- City of Mounds. Archaeologists discovered it in 1911.  It is spread out over about 250 acres.
• Harappa - Harappan civilization was first discovered in this City of Harappans.
  
• The first visit to Harappa was made in 1826 CE by James Lewis.
• Ropar- Ropar is now known as Rupnagar. 
  
• Kalibangan- It has exhibited the pre-harappan and mature harappan phase of harappans.
• Harappan people developed well planned cities with network of streets and drainage system.
• Harappan people did know the use of metals like Bronze and Copper. Dancing girl of Mohenjo-Daro made of Bronze is the finest example of the matals usage in harappan civilization.
  

• A copper chariot of Harappan times was discovered at Daimabad.
• Rakhigarhi is the largest excavated Harappan site and also making it the biggest civilization among the Harappan sites found till now.
• Banawali site exhibits the centralized planning feature of the harappan civilization. This site exhibits two phases of Harappan culture namely Proto or Pre-harappan and matured harappan phase.
  

• The Great bath is one of the best known structures among the ruins of Harappan civilization.
  
• Great bath was there for ritual bathing.
  

• Great bath measurement was 11.58*7.01*2.43 m.
  
• Great bath was the second highest building in Mohenjo-Daro even in whole civilization.
  
• Great bath had amazing burnt brick work on the floor of the bath.
• Great bath even had rooms for changing clothes.
  

• Harappa is the first town to excavate by the archeologists in Indian sub-continent(Now Pakistan).
• Lothal- The city of Dead- Dockyard was found here. It was a port town for harappans.
• Alamgirpur- It was discovered in 1959. This site shows the presence of Harappan civilization to the east of Yamuna river.
• Manda- It was discovered in 1976. It is the northern most site of harappan civilization. This site was used to collect wood for the harappan people.

• Lothal- The city of Dead- Dockyard was found here. It was a port town for harappans. Lothal is the southernmost cities of the ancient Indus valley civilization. It is located in the Bhāl region of the modern state of Gujarāt and dating from 3700 BCE.
• Surkotoda is a small settlement with an oblong fortification wall of stone near Rann of Kutch.
• Kot Diji is in Khairpur dist, Pakistan.
• Prabhas Patan is a town situated in Gir Somnath district in Saurashtra region of Gujarat, India. Late harappan phase is represented by Rangpur  and Prabhas Patan. 

• Kalibangan - located in Hnumangarh dist in Rajasthan(India).
• Mehrgarh is located near the Bolan Pass, to the west of the Indus River valley and between the now Pakistani cities of Quetta, Kalat and Sibi.
• Kot Diji is in Khairpur dist, Pakistan.
• Surkotoda is a small settlement with an oblong fortification wall of stone near Rann of Kutch.
  

• A piece of a woven cotton has been recovered from Mohenjo-Daro.
  
• Lothal- The city of Dead- Dockyard was found here. It was a port town of Harappans.
  
• Several items were recovered from Harappa site. Among the findings of Harappa site, the granary on mound F stands unique.
• The principal items of Harappan pottery were recovered at Banawali.

• Dholavira lies in the Great Rann of Kachchh area of Gujarat.
• Dholavira had one of the world’s earliest and best planned water conservation systems.
• Dholavira is known as Kotada which means large fort.
  
• Dholavira shows all the three phases of Harappan Culture- 4500 BC to 1500 BC.
• Dholavira has a citadel in the center, with a middle and lower town, each fortified separately. The city comes up a spectacular town planning as well.
  

• Total number of Harappan inscriptions is around 3000.
• The earliest known Indus script signs were found on Ravi and Kot diji pottery excavated at Harappa town. It was found that only one sign is displayed on the pottery surface.
• The above excavated Indus script signs represent a premature stage in the development of the Indus Script.
• Inscriptions were found from over 60 harappan sites and most of them are short, the average length is five signs and none of them is longer than 26 signs.
• Since the Harappan script has not been deciphered yet, its use is not known with certainty and all that we think we know is based on archaeological evidence alone.

• A burial practice similar to that of Megalithic burial has been found at Dholavira.
• Evidence of signage on ground has been discovered from Dholavira.
• The Dockyard was excavated in the harappan site of Lothal.
• Several items were recovered from Harappa site. Among the findings of Harappa site, the granary on mound F stands unique.
• The principal items of harappan pottery were recovered at Banawali.

• Lothal, one of the most prominent cities of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization, located in the Bhal region of the modern state of Gujarat.
• A dockyard like structure was discovered in Lothal.
  
• Arguments regarding the Dockyard existence in the Lothal is still under debate and cannot confirm the ship building industry in Lothal area until more evidences are found.
• One evidence found regarding the ships is that the seal was discovered depicting a ship.
• Also Rectangular and circular fire altars were found in Lothal area.
• Lothal has two primary zones – the upper and the lower town.
  
• The citadel or the upper town is located in the south eastern corner and is demarcated by platforms of mud-brick of 4 meters in height instead of a fortification wall.
• The remains of the lower town suggest that the area had a bead-making factory. In close proximity to the enclosure identified as a warehouse, along the eastern side where a wharf-like platform, is a basin measuring 217 m long and 26 meters in width, identified as a tidal dock-yard. The lower town was not fortified as well.
  

• A vase depicting the folk tale 'The Thirsty Crow' was found at Lothal.
• Lothal- The city of Dead- Dockyard was found here. It was a port town of Harappans.
• The principal items of harappan pottery were recovered at Banawali.
• Dholavira had one of the world’s earliest and best planned water conservation systems.
• Dholavira is known as Kotada which means large fort.
• Dholavira shows all the three phases of Harappan Culture- 4500 BC to 1500 BC.
• Dholavira has a citadel in the center, with a middle and lower town, each fortified separately. The city comes up a spectacular town planning as well.
  
• Surkotoda is a small settlement with an oblong fortification wall of stone near Rann of Kutch.

• Did harappan people ate their meals with fork and knife is not certain. According to historians, harappans would have used fingers instead of forks and knives on the table is still uncertain.
  
• For spoons copper and pottery imitations of mussel-shells were used by harappans.
  
• Harappans used to sit on the mats during intake of food mostly and certain rich classes used the table for food intake.
• Harappan exploited the Khetri copper mines presently located in Rajasthan state.
• Lothal, one of the most prominent cities of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization, located in the Bhal region of the modern state of Gujarat.
• Arguments regarding the Dockyard existence in the Lothal is still under debate and cannot confirm the ship building industry in Lothal area until more evidences are found.
  

• The Harappan site located on the Iranian border was Sutkagendor.
• Sutkagendor- This is the trading post located in the Baluchistan area bordering Iran(current map of the world). This trading post was supporting the trade with Persian gulf.
• Surkotoda is a small settlement with an oblong fortification wall of stone near Rann of Kutch.
• Alamgirpur- It was discovered in 1959. This site shows the presence of Harappan civilization to the east of Yamuna river.
  
• Kotla Nihangkhan- It is also a major archeological site associated with the  Harappan Civilization, dating to the 3300-1300 BCE period. It is located in Rupnagar dist of Punjab.
  

• Harappans imported jade from Central Asia.
• Jade is a hard, typically green stone used for ornaments and implements and consisting of the minerals jadeite or nephrite.
• Lapis Lazuli and sapphire were imported from Badakshan area.
• Amethyst is a precious stone consisting of a violet or purple variety of quartz. It was found in Maharashtra during the harappan times.
• Copper was taken from Khetri(Rajasthan) and Arabia.