With reference to burial practices of Harappans, identify the correct…

With reference to burial practices of Harappans, identify the correct statements:

A. The dead were generally laid in pits.
B. Some burials contained pottery and ornaments.
C. Jewellery has been found in burials of both men and women.
D. The Harappans largely believed in burying precious things.
E. Hundreds of micro-beads have been found near the skull of a male in Harappa.

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 2

The correct answer is Option (2) → A, B, C and E only

A. The dead were generally laid in pits. Correct. At burials in Harappan sites the dead were generally laid in pits; in some instances the pits were lined with bricks.

B. Some burials contained pottery and ornaments. Correct. Some graves contain pottery and ornaments, perhaps showing a belief that these could be used in the afterlife.

C. Jewellery has been found in burials of both men and women. Correct. Jewellery has been found in burials of both men and women.

D. The Harappans largely believed in burying precious things. Incorrect. On the whole, it appears that the Harappans did not believe in burying precious things with the dead; copper mirrors were found only in some instances.

E. Hundreds of micro-beads have been found near the skull of a male in Harappa. Correct. In the excavations at the cemetery in Harappa in the mid-1980s, an ornament of three shell rings, a jasper bead and hundreds of micro beads was found near the skull of a male.

NCERT (2026-27): “4.1 Burials … At burials in Harappan sites the dead were generally laid in pits. Sometimes, there were differences in the way the burial pit was made – in some instances, the hollowed-out spaces were lined with bricks. Could these variations be an indication of social differences? We are not sure. Some graves contain pottery and ornaments, perhaps indicating a belief that these could be used in the afterlife. Jewellery has been found in burials of both men and women. In fact, in the excavations at the cemetery in Harappa in the mid-1980s, an ornament consisting of three shell rings, a jasper (a kind of semi-precious stone) bead and hundreds of micro beads was found near the skull of a male. In some instances the dead were buried with copper mirrors. But on the whole, it appears that the Harappans did not believe in burying precious things with the dead.…”