Which one of the following statements about the Harappan Culture is not correct?
- A.It witnessed the first cities in the subcontinent.
- B.It marks the first use of script, written from right to left.
- C.It marks the earliest known use of iron as a medium for the art of sculpting.
- D.It marks the earliest known use of stone as a medium for the art of sculpting.
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is C, the earliest known use of iron for sculpting. The Harappans were a Bronze Age people and did not know iron at all.
The Harappan or Indus Valley Civilisation flourished from about 2600 to 1900 BCE. Its people used copper, bronze, gold and silver, and made famous pieces such as the bronze Dancing Girl of Mohenjo-daro. Iron came into common use in India much later, around 1000 BCE, linked with the Painted Grey Ware culture of the later Vedic age. So no Harappan sculpture could have been made of iron.
Option A is a true statement, since Harappa, Mohenjo-daro and Dholavira were the first planned cities of the subcontinent. Option B is true because the Harappan script, still undeciphered, was mostly written from right to left. Option D is true because stone figures such as the Priest-King bust are the earliest known stone sculptures of the region.
Exam tip: Harappan metals were copper, bronze, gold and silver; iron is missing.
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