the earliest cities

Q1. How do archaeologists know that cloth was used in the Harappan civilisation?

Answer: Archaeologists have found spindles from the excavation sites.

Presence of spindles shows that people knew how to make cloths.

This shows that people in the Harappan Civilization used cloth.

Q2. Match the Columns

Column I	Column II
Copper	Gujarat
Gold	Afghanistan
Tin	Rajasthan
Precious stones	Karnataka

Answer:

·         Copper: Rajasthan

·         Gold: Karnataka

·         Tin: Afghanistan

·         Precious stones: Gujarat

Q3. Why were metals, writing, the wheel, and the plough important for the Harappans?

Answer:   a) Metals were used for making various tools, utensils, jewelry and seals.

b) Writing was useful for maintaining the records; related to trade and for various other purposes.

c) The wheel was used in carts to ferry people and goods. Wheel was also used as potter’s wheel.

d) Plough was used for tilling the land so that farming could be done.

Q4. Make a list of all the terracotta toys shown in the lesson. Which do you think children would have enjoyed playing with the most?

Answer: Animal figures, model cart and plough are some of the terracotta toys mentioned in this lesson. 

Even today; most of the children enjoy playing with toy cars.

Q5. Make a list of what the Harappans ate, and put a tick mark against the things you eat today.

Answer: The people of Harappa ate various kinds of grains (rice, wheat, barley, pulses, mustard, etc.), fruits (ber), fish, meat and milk. Most of these things we eat even today. At present; we eat rice, wheat, pulses, fish, meat and milk.

 SOME IMPORTANT DATES

• Cotton cultivation at Mehrgarh (about 7000 years ago).
• Beginning of cities (about 4700 years ago).
•  Beginning of the end of these cities (about 3900 years ago).
•   The emergence of other cities (about 2500 years ago).