Read the passage and answer the questions:
Chanhudaro is a tiny settlement (less than 7 hectares), almost exclusively devoted to craft production, including bead-making, shell-cutting, metal-working, seal-making and weight-making. The variety of materials used to make beads is remarkable: stones like carnelian, jasper, crystal, quartz and steatite; metals like copper, bronze and gold; and shell, faience, and terracotta or burnt clay. Some beads were made of two or more stones, cemented together, some of stone with gold caps. The shapes were numerous – disc-shaped, cylindrical, spherical, barrel-shaped, segmented.
Which of the following Harappan sites were specialised centres for making shell objects?
A. Chanhudaro
B. Lothal
C. Dholavira
D. Nageshwar
E. Balakot
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → D, E only
A. Chanhudaro Incorrect. Chanhudaro was a tiny settlement devoted to many crafts – bead-making, shell-cutting, metal-working, seal-making and weight-making. It is known for its beads and specialised drills, and is not singled out as a centre for shell objects.
B. Lothal Incorrect. Lothal lay near the sources of carnelian and steatite. Like Chanhudaro, it is known for beads, which were taken to the large cities.
C. Dholavira Incorrect. Specialised drills have been found at Dholavira too, but it is not named as a shell-working centre.
D. Nageshwar Correct. Nageshwar lies near the coast, where shell was available. It was a specialised centre for making shell objects – bangles, ladles and inlay – which were taken to other settlements.
E. Balakot Correct. Balakot, also near the coast, was the second such specialised centre for shell objects.
NCERT (2026-27): “5. Finding Out About Craft Production … Archaeologists’ experiments have revealed that the red colour of carnelian was obtained by firing the yellowish raw material and beads at various stages of production. Nodules were chipped into rough shapes, and then finely flaked into the final form. Grinding, polishing and drilling completed the process. Specialised drills have been found at Chanhudaro, Lothal and more recently at Dholavira. If you locate Nageshwar and Balakot on Map 1, you will notice that both settlements are near the coast. These were specialised centres for making shell objects – including bangles, ladles and inlay – which were taken to other settlements. Similarly, it is likely that finished products (such as beads) from Chanhudaro and Lothal were taken to the large urban centres such as Mohenjodaro and Harappa.…” |