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Bricks, Beads And Bones
Question
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Write a short note on script of the Harappan civilization.

Answer

Script of the Harappan civilization:

(i) Till date we have not been able to decipher Harappan script. Although we are sure that it was not alphabetical (where each sign stands for a vowel or a consonant) as there are just too many signs-somewhere between 375 and 400.

(ii) The script was written from right to left. We know this because some seals show a wider spacing on the right and cramping on the left, as if the engraver began working from the right and then ran out of space.

(iii) The Indus Script has both word signs and symbols with phonetic value. This view is based on the fact that roughly 400 signs have been identified, which makes it unlikely that the Indus Script was solely phonetic. 

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Some More Questions From Bricks, Beads And Bones Chapter

List the material used to make beads in the Harappan Civilisation. Describe the process by which one kind of bead was made.

Look at following fig. and describe what you see. How is the body placed? What are the objects placed near it? Are there any artefacts on the body? Do these indicate the sex of the skeleton?

Fig. A Harappan Burial

Describe some of the distinctive features of Mohenjodaro.

List the raw materials required for craft production in the Harappan Civilisation and discuss how these might have been obtained.

Discuss how archaeologists reconstruct the past.

Discuss the functions that may have been performed by rulers in Harappan society.

On given map, use a pencil to circle sites where evidence of agriculture has been recovered. Mark an X against sites where there is evidence of craft production and R against sites where raw materials were found.

Find out if there are any museums in your town. Visit one of them and write a report on any ten items, describing how old they are, where they were found and why you think they are on display.

Collect illustrations of ten things made of stone, metal and clay produced and used at present. Compare these with the pictures of the Harappan civilisation in this chapter, and discuss the similarities and differences that you find.

Mention the two sections of the Harappan settlements and give one main feature of each.