History (Earliest Cities) Part - 2
Exams (Part 1 & Part 2) Covers the Following Topics
1. Discovery of Harappan Sites
- The discovery of Harappa and Mohenjodaro
- Archaeological significance and early excavations
- Historical context of Harappan sites
2. City Planning
- Citadel and Lower Town: Division of cities into the citadel and lower town, including the significance of this structure in urban design
- Grid Pattern Layout: Streets arranged in straight lines and intersections at right angles
- Drainage System: Sophisticated drainage systems with covered drains and inspection holes
- Houses and Urban Infrastructure: Use of baked bricks for houses, layout of residential areas around courtyards, wells, and bathing areas
3. Buildings and Features
- The Great Bath (Mohenjodaro): Construction, significance, and use
- Granaries: Large storage buildings for grain storage, found in various cities
- Fire Altars: Found at Kalibangan and other sites, indicating religious rituals
- Public Buildings and Citadels: Administrative and defensive centers, often located on raised platforms
4. Life in the City
- Roles in Society: Rulers, scribes, craftspersons, traders, and farmers
- Terracotta Toys and Figurines: Indicative of social life and childhood entertainment
- Sculpture and Artistic Expression: Representation of humans and animals in sculptures
- Use of Seals: Administrative use of seals for marking goods and trade items
5. Craftsmanship and Materials
- Baked Bricks: Use of uniform baked bricks in construction
- Faience Beads and Ornaments: Creation of beads and ornaments using faience
- Stone Seals: Carved with symbols and animals, used in trade
- Bronze Tools and Weapons: Metallurgy and production of bronze tools and weapons
- Terracotta Figurines: Representation of humans and animals in terracotta
- Bead-Making: Specialization in bead-making, particularly in Lothal
6. Trade and Raw Materials
- Long-Distance Trade: Trade with Mesopotamia and other distant civilizations, as evidenced by Harappan seals found in foreign locations
- Raw Materials: Acquisition of copper, tin, gold, silver, and semi-precious stones from distant regions (e.g., copper from Rajasthan, tin from Afghanistan, gold from Karnataka)
- Bead-Making and Maritime Trade: Centers like Lothal and Dholavira known for bead-making and maritime trade
- Evidence of Standardized Weights and Measures: Standardized stone weights found in multiple sites
7. Food and Agriculture
- Crops: Wheat, barley, rice, and cotton cultivation in Harappan regions
- Irrigation and Water Management: Wells, canals, and water storage systems for agriculture
- Animal Husbandry: Domestication of animals like cattle, goats, and sheep for farming and trade
8. Harappan Cities in Gujarat
- Lothal: Dockyard and bead-making workshops, importance in maritime trade
- Dholavira: Unique division into three parts, large inscriptions carved from white stone, advanced water management with reservoirs
- Kalibangan: Presence of fire altars and other urban features
9. The Decline of the Civilization
- Environmental Factors: Theories regarding the drying up of rivers, deforestation, and soil degradation as contributing factors
- Trade Decline: The impact of shifting trade routes on the decline of Harappan cities
- Cultural Shifts: Potential internal societal changes leading to the abandonment of cities
- Dates and significant timelines of the rise and decline of the Harappan civilization, including key archaeological discoveries
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