Occasional finds of Harappan artefacts, such as steatite micro beads, in certain areas indicate what?

Communication with local communities

The Harappans employed various strategies to procure materials for craft production. They established settlements in specific locations where certain resources were available. For example, Nageshwar and Balakot were settled near areas abundant in shell, while Shortughai in Afghanistan was close to the source of lapis lazuli, a highly valued blue stone. Lothal was strategically located near sources of carnelian, steatite, and metal.

Another approach to acquiring raw materials involved sending expeditions to regions like the Khetri area of Rajasthan for copper and South India for gold. These expeditions facilitated communication and trade with local communities. Occasional discoveries of Harappan artifacts, such as steatite micro beads, in these regions suggest such interactions.

In the Khetri area, evidence of the Ganeshwar-Jodhpura culture has been found. This culture is characterized by unique non-Harappan pottery and a significant abundance of copper objects. It is plausible that the inhabitants of this region supplied copper to the Harappans.