What is the significance of pottery and ornaments found in some Harappan graves?

A) Indication of trade networks
B) Evidence of advanced technology
C) Suggesting religious beliefs about the afterlife
D) Symbolizing difference in gender

Choose the correct answer from the given options:

C

Archaeologists employ various strategies to investigate social and economic distinctions within a particular culture, such as analyzing burial practices. For instance, the massive pyramids of Egypt, contemporaneous with the Harappan civilization, served as royal tombs containing immense wealth.

In Harappan sites, burials typically involved laying the deceased in pits, though variations can be observed in the construction of these pits. Some were lined with bricks, raising questions about potential social differentiations. However, the significance of these variations remains uncertain.

Certain graves contained pottery and ornaments, suggesting a belief that these objects would be useful in the afterlife. Jewelry has been found in both male and female burials. Notably, during excavations at the Harappa cemetery in the mid-1980s, an ornament consisting of three shell rings, a jasper bead, and numerous microbeads was discovered near the skull of a male. Copper mirrors have also been found in some burials. However, overall, it appears that the Harappans did not commonly practice burying valuable items with the deceased.