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 is a red coloured stone used for making beads by the people of Harappan civilization?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Carnelian
Carnelian, a stone of a beautiful red colour, was used for Harappan beads; the red colour was obtained by firing the yellowish raw material.
NCERT (2026-27): “5. Finding Out About Craft Production … Locate Chanhudaro on Map 1. This is a tiny settlement (less than 7 hectares) as compared to Mohenjodaro (125 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 (of a beautiful red colour), 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 – discshaped, cylindrical, spherical, barrel-shaped, segmented. Some were decorated by incising or painting, and some had designs etched onto them. 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.…” |