The characteristics of archaeological cultures in the Harappa region prior to the mature Harappan were:
(A) distinctive pottery.
(B) agriculture and pastoralism.
(C) No crafts.
(D) settlements were generally small, and there were virtually no large buildings.
(E) The people of these cultures had contact with distant lands including West Asia and long-distance trade through the sea route.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → (A), (B) and (D) only
(A) distinctive pottery. Correct. The cultures in the region before the Mature Harappan were associated with distinctive pottery.
(B) agriculture and pastoralism. Correct. They show evidence of agriculture and pastoralism.
(C) No crafts. Incorrect. These cultures had some crafts.
(D) settlements were generally small, and there were virtually no large buildings. Correct. Settlements were generally small, with virtually no large buildings.
(E) The people of these cultures had contact with distant lands including West Asia and long-distance trade through the sea route. Incorrect. Contact with distant lands, such as copper brought from Oman, is described for the Mature Harappan civilisation, not for the small early cultures that came before it.
NCERT (2026-27): “1. Beginnings … There were several archaeological cultures in the region prior to the Mature Harappan. These cultures were associated with distinctive pottery, evidence of agriculture and pastoralism, and some crafts. Settlements were generally small, and there were virtually no large buildings.… 6.2 Contact with distant lands … Recent archaeological finds suggest that copper was also probably brought from Oman, on the south-eastern tip of the Arabian peninsula. Chemical analyses have shown that both the Omani copper and Harappan artefacts have traces of nickel, suggesting a common origin.…” |