Archaeologists use the term "Culture" for a group of objects:
(A) those are distinctive in style
(B) those are usually found together within a specific geographical area and period of time
(C) those are precious
(D) those are made of imported raw material
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → (A) and (B) only
(A) those are distinctive in style Correct. Archaeologists use the term “culture” for a group of objects distinctive in style.
(B) those are usually found together within a specific geographical area and period of time Correct. Such objects are usually found together within a specific geographical area and period of time. For the Harappan culture they include seals, beads, weights, stone blades and baked bricks.
(C) those are precious Incorrect. Value plays no part in the definition; everyday objects such as baked bricks and stone blades mark the Harappan culture.
(D) those are made of imported raw material Incorrect. The definition rests on style, place and period, not on where the raw material came from.
Note: The section ‘Terms, places, times’ of the chapter ‘Bricks, Beads and Bones’, which gives the archaeologists’ meaning of “culture”, was there in the 2023-24 NCERT; this portion has been deleted from subsequent editions of NCERT, including the NCERT book (2026-27), though the chapter is still there.
NCERT (2023-24): “Terms, places, times … The Indus valley civilisation is also called the Harappan culture. Archaeologists use the term ‘culture’ for a group of objects, distinctive in style, that are usually found together within a specific geographical area and period of time. In the case of the Harappan culture, these distinctive objects include seals, beads, weights, stone blades … and even baked bricks. These objects were found from areas as far apart as Afghanistan, Jammu, Baluchistan (Pakistan) and Gujarat ….…” |