NCERT Solutions For Class-12 History Chapter-1: Bricks, Beads and Bones The Harappan Civilisation

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NCERT Solutions For Class 12 History Chapter 1 Bricks, Beads, and Bones The Harappan Civilisation – This article includes the free NCERT Solutions for Class 12 History Chapter 1 Bricks, Beads and Bones The Harappan Civilisation. It will help the students of Class 12 to learn the solutions and ace their exams.

The solutions to all the exercises in Class 12 History Chapter 1 Bricks, Beads, and Bones The Harappan Civilisation of your NCERT textbook have been collectively covered in NCERT Solution for Class 11 (2024-2025).

NCERT Solutions Class-12 History Chapter-1: Bricks, Beads, and Bones The Harappan Civilisation

Are there any similarities or differences in the distribution of settlements shown on Maps 1 and 2? (Page – 3)

Both maps depict the concentrations of the settlements. Map one shows the ancient urban centers and map two displays the spread of the Ashokan inscriptions. They both show the urbanization patterns with the imperial governance and communication networks.

What is the evidence used by archaeologists to reconstruct dietary practices? (Page – 4)

Archeologists have different methods to analyze funeral remains, plant remains, isotopic analysis, and examination of cooking and food storage processes. They also analyze the dietary practice and offer different subsistence strategies with the social status.

Which of the architectural features of Mohenjodaro indicate planning? (Page – 8)

Some planned architectural features in Mohenjodaro include the standard brick size, grid-like street structures, drainage systems, and different public facilities. The city was great in planning and organization.

What are the modes of disposal of the dead prevalent at present? To what extent do these represent social differences? (Page – 10)

In the modern day, the dead body disposal process includes burial, cremation, and other cultural practices such as sky and water burial. These practices reflect a cultural and socio-economic difference in societies which marks the dead life and after dead life as well.

Should the stone artefacts illustrated in the chapter be considered as utilitarian objects or as luxuries? Are there any that may fall into both categories? (Page – 11)

So many urban utilitarian purposes like tools or adornment, symbolic reference, and blurring the line between utility and luxury can be done by the different stone artifacts. The beads objects or figurines may exemplify the duality of the practical and symbolic functions.

What were the possible routes from the Harappan region to Oman, Dilmun and Mesopotamia? (Page – 14)

Important trade routes can be extended from the Harappa region to these via different land and sea routes. It helps in the process of exchanging goods like precious stones, metals, and different luxury items.

What are some of the presentday methods used for longdistance exchange of goods? What are their advantages and problems? (Page – 15)

Modern methods may include shipping, air, freight, and land transportation networks majorly depend on railways and highways. There are so many challenges like logistical complexity, impact on the environment, and risk to security.

Could everybody in Harappan society have been equal? (Page – 16)

The evidence suggests that the degree of social differentiation in the Harappan society can be varied by housing size and burial practices. The evidence of equality is clear but for that, there are so many arguments that took place about this matter.

What are the similarities and differences between Maps 1, 2 and 4? (Page – 18)

Maps 1,2 and 4 depict the different aspects of the ancient civilization process where Map 1 shows the different settlement patterns, Map 2 displays the distribution of the inscription of Ashoka and lastly, Map 4 shows the trade networks and cultural interaction processes with a geographic focus.

Which of the themes in this chapter would have interested Cunningham? Which are the issues that have been of interest since 1947? (Page – 21)

Cunningham may be interested in the themes of the ancient urbanization process and the archeological exploration that defines the historical chronologies.

What are the aspects of Harappan economy that have been reconstructed from archaeological evidence? (Page – 24)

Harappan economy was based on agriculture, trade, and craft production. There were so many urban centers, standard weight systems, and long-distance trade routes were present. In the economic system, the agricultural surplus and craft specialization was common.

NCERT Solutions Class-12 History Chapter-1: Bricks, Beads and Bones The Harappan Civilisation

Exercise Questions

1. List the items of food available to people in Harappan cities. Identify the groups who would have provided these.

There are several varieties of food available in Harappa. These foods were generally extracted from the plants and collected by the food gatherers. Availability of the animal flesh and fish was a set food for the hunting communities as well. The crops mainly grown in Harappa were wheat, barley, pulses, and paddy.

2. How do archaeologists trace socio-economic differences in Harappan society? What are the differences that they notice?

There are socio-economic differences that can be observed based on studying the burial system. The Harappan society was a general where the dead people were buried on the pits. The artifacts found in Harappa were divided into two parts including utilitarian and luxuries. Utilitarian objectives are related to daily essentials and luxuries like gold jewelry.

3. Would you agree that the drainage system in Harappan cities indicates town planning? Give reasons for your answer.

One of the most important features of the Harappan civilization was the drainage system. Some planned architectural features in Mohenjodaro include the standard brick size, grid-like street structures, drainage systems, and different public facilities. The city was great in planning and organization.

4. List the materials used to make beads in the Harappan civilisation. Describe the process by which any one kind of bead was made.

Bead-making was an important act in the Harappan civilization and Chanhudaro was a hub of this process. The Chanhudaro was around 7 hectares and is majorly known for craft production. There are so many activities found like seal making, metal cutting, and shell cutting processes. The use of different types of beads has been found in different sites.

5. Look at 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?

The observations can be made after looking at the different pictures. The direction of the body has been kept in the North-South direction where graves contain so many pottery and ornaments. There were so many bangles found and the observation says that was a female body.

6. Describe some of the distinctive features of Mohenjodaro.

Mohenjo-daro:

Urban Planning: Mohenjo-daro was meticulously planned, with well-organized streets and a sophisticated drainage system. The city was divided into various sectors, each with its own purpose, such as residential areas, marketplaces, and public buildings.

Great Bath: One of the most iconic structures in Mohenjo-daro is the Great Bath, a large public bathing pool built with finely cut bricks and waterproofing materials. It is believed to have had religious or ritual significance, possibly for purification ceremonies.

Advanced Drainage System: Mohenjo-daro had an advanced drainage system consisting of brick-lined sewers that ran beneath the streets. These sewers were designed to carry wastewater away from the city and prevent flooding during the monsoon season.

Brick Structures: The buildings in Mohenjo-daro were primarily constructed using standardized baked bricks, which were laid in an interlocking pattern without the use of mortar. This technique allowed for the construction of durable and stable structures.

Harappan Script: Mohenjo-daro is one of the sites where artifacts containing the Harappan script have been discovered. Although the script remains undeciphered, it indicates the presence of a sophisticated writing system in the ancient Indus Valley Civilization.

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

The Harappan people used so many different materials for making beads and other crafts. Some common stones are used for craft making including carnelian, crystal, quartz, and steatite. The Harappans made so many cities like Nageshwar and Balakot which were famous for the cells. The Harappans also sent so many expeditions to find the different materials. So many trade links were founded with the different locations of the world.

8. Discuss how archaeologists reconstruct the past.

Archeologists reconstruct the past through different methods. They take the help of the excavation processes and gather the artifacts from the different sites. These artifacts can be studied by archeologists to understand the traditions and customs. There are so many processes of discovery of pottery, seals, and construction materials which gives us a detailed view of the civilization.

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