Bricks, Beads And Bones
Which of the themes in this chapter would have interested for Cunningham?
Cunningham’s main interest was in the archaeology of the Early Historic (c. sixth century BCE-fourth century CE) and later periods. He used the accounts left by Chinese Buddhist pilgrims who had visited the subcontinent between the fourth and seventh centuries CE to locate early settlements. . A site like Harappa, which was not part of the itinerary of the Chinese pilgrims and was not known as an Early Historic city, did not fit very neatly within his framework of investigation. So, although Harappan artefacts were found fairly often during the nineteenth century and some of these reached Cunningham, he did not realise how old these were. Thus looking into the interest of his it is highly doubtful that any of the themes in this chapter would have interested him.
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Would you agree that the drainage system in Harappan cities indicates town planning? Give reasons for your answer.
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.
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