Target Exam

CUET

Subject

History

Chapter

Ancient India: Bricks, Beads and Bones

Question:

Read the passage and answer the question:

Archaeologists generally use certain strategies to find out whether there were social or economic differences amongst people living within a particular culture. These include studying burials. You are probably familiar with the massive pyramids of Egypt, some of which were contemporaneous with the Harappan civilisation. Many of these pyramids were royal burials, where enormous quantities of wealth was buried.

Another strategy to identify social differences is to study artefacts, which archaeologists broadly classify as utilitarian and luxuries. The first category includes objects of daily use made fairly easily out of ordinary materials such as stone or clay. Archaeologists assume objects were luxuries if they are rare or made from costly, non-local materials or with complicated technologies.

What belief do pottery and ornaments found in some graves in Harappa indicate?

Options:

The people were rich.

People did not want to leave anything behind after death.

These could be used in the afterlife.

None of the above.

Correct Answer:

These could be used in the afterlife.

Explanation:

The correct answer is Option 3 - These could be used in the afterlife.

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. Some graves contain pottery and ornaments, perhaps indicating a belief that these could be used in the afterlife.