Test: Indus Valley Civilization (State Service Exams) - UPSC MCQ

Surkotada was excavated by J.P Joshi in 1964.

Proto-Dravidian Origin - the IVC people were originally Dravidian people who had come there from the Mediterranean region

Kalibangan - It is an ancient town located on the banks of the Ghaggar river in Rajasthan. It means 'black bangles' which it derives from the dense distribution of the fragments of black bangles which were found at the surface of its mounds 

Lothal is located between the Sabarmati river and its tributary, the Bhogava, in Saurashtra in Gujarat. The most distinctive feature of Lothal is the dockyard, which lies on the eastern edge of the site.

Steatite, a soft stone found in the river beds, was although the most common the material used to make seals, however agate, chert, copper, faience and terracotta seals have also been found.

No temples or religious places have been discovered from Harappan cities.No building has been discovered at any Harappan site that can be positively identified as a temple, but the Great Bath at Mohenjodaro may have been used for ritual purposes.

The Indus civilization was highly developed & it was not bound by religious rule, it was a secular civilization. Sir John Marshall an archaeologist says that it was not a new civilization on Indian soil, it was quite old & developed.

According to Indus seals, domesticated animals were mostly goats, buffaloes, oxen, elephants, dogs, and camels, but Harappans were not familiar with the horse.

In the year 1912, J. Fleet discovered Harappan seals. This incident led to an excavation campaign under Sir John Hubert Marshall in 1921-1922.

By 2600 BC, Mohenjodaro and Harappa are the major cities of the Indus Valley Civilization, which were built with blocks divided by a grid of straight streets and running north-south and east-west. Each block was subdivided into small lanes.

• The floor of the bath was constructed of sawn bricks set on edge in 'The Great Bath'. It is a finely built brick structure that measures 12m by 7m and is nearly 3m deep from the surrounding pavement.
• The floor of the bath was constructed of sawn bricks set on edge in gypsum mortar, with a layer of bitumen sandwiched between the inner and outer bricklayers.
• Water was supplied by a large well in an adjacent room, and an outlet from one corner of the bath led to a high corbelled drain disgorging on the west side of the mound. 

V. Gordon Childe, in full Vere Gordon Childe, (born April 14, 1892, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia—died October 19, 1957, Mount Victoria, New South Wales) is Australian-born British historian, linguist, and archaeologist whose study of European prehistory of the 2nd and 3rd millennia BCE sought to evaluate the relationship between Europe and the Middle East and to examine the structure and character of the preliterate cultures of the Western world in antiquity.

• Evidence of double burial (burying a male and a female in a single grave) has been found at Lothal. The most common method of burial was found in Kalibangan.
• It was to place the body of the deceased in an extended position, with the head towards the north, in a simple pit or brick chamber.

They worshipped the bird Pigeon. The worship of mythical animals is evident from the existence of a human figure with a bull's horns, hoofs and a tail. Besides animals, these people also worshipped the Sun, the Fire and the Water.

• The cow was absent in the terracottas of the Indus civilization.
• The terracotta figurines excavated at Harappan site had images of oxen, buffaloes, pigs, goat, sheep and humped bull.
• The cow was famous in Vedic culture.

Incidentally, a sealing at Umma is reported to have been associated with a bale of cloth-evidently an export from India.

They grew most wheat and barley and also rice at some places along with pulses, sesame, linseed and mustard. 

The furrows discovered in the pre-Harappan phase at Kalibangan (Rajasthan) indicate that the fields were ploughed during the Harappan period. The Harappans probably used the wooden plough drawn by oxen and camels.

The site where the discovery of human skeletons lying pell-mell, with a skull having an injury mark, indicates an invasion and massacre is Mohenjodaro.
Explanation:
The discovery of human skeletons with an injury mark suggests that there was a violent event that led to the death of these individuals. Here is a detailed explanation of the given options:
Mohenjodaro:
- This site is known for its well-planned urban infrastructure and is one of the largest cities of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization.
- The discovery of human skeletons with injury marks suggests that an invasion and massacre occurred at Mohenjodaro.
Harappa:
- Harappa is another major city of the Indus Valley Civilization, but there is no specific mention of an invasion or massacre at this site.
Banwal:
- Banwal is not a well-known Harappan site, and there is no specific evidence or mention of an invasion or massacre at this location.
Kalibangan:
- Kalibangan is also a Harappan site, but there is no specific evidence or mention of an invasion or massacre at this location.
Based on the given information, the most likely site where the discovery of human skeletons indicates an invasion and massacre is Mohenjodaro.

The Mesopotamian records from about 2350 BC onwards refer to trade relations with Meluha, which was the ancient name given to the Indus region, and they also speak of two intermediate stations called ‘Dilmun’ (identified with Bahrain on the Persian Gulf) and Makan (Makran Coast).