On this post, we provide AHSEC Class 12 History Chapter 1: Bricks, Beads, and Bones Notes and important questions and answers for the 2025 examination.
After going through this unit you will be able:
•To learn about the origins of Indian Civilisation i.e. Indus Valley Civilisation.
•To know about the agricultural, trade, craft etc. activities of the Indus Valley people.
•To understand the geographical locations of the countries through study the trade activities of Harappa people with other countries.
•To elaborate why Mohenjo-Daro famous for Town Planning system.
•Explain the rise and fall of the Indus Valley civilization.
•To discuss about the advent of the Aryans in Indian subcontinent.
AHSEC Class 12 History Important Questions Answers for 2025 Examination
Part-I (Marks: 35)
ARCHAEOLOGY, ANCIENT INDIA & ASSAM THROUGH THE AGE
CHAPTER 1: BRICKS, BEADS AND BONES
The Harappan Civilization
Model questions and Answer for 1 mark : (Very short type)
1. Who was Alexander Cunninghum? 1mark (2019)
Ans: The first Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India.
2. Where was the Indus Valley Civilization discovered first? (HS 2024, 2018, 2013)
Ans: Harappa.
3. Who was the first Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India? 1mark (2016, 2014)
Ans: Alexander Cunninghum.
4. Who wrote Further Excavation of Mohenjodaro? 1mark (2015)
Ans: E.J.H. Mackay wrote.
5. Who is known as Father of Indian Archaeology? 1mark (2015, 2012)
Ans: Alexander Cunningham called the father of Indian Archaeology.
6. What kinds of grinding instruments were used to grind the grain in Harappan civilization? 1mark (2014)
Ans: Nodules.
7. In which period the Indus valley civilization was took place. Imark
Ans: 2600 BCE to 1900 ВСЕ.
8. What is the most distinctive artefacts of the Harappa civilization? 1mark
Ans: The Seals. Which is made of a stone called steatite.
9. What was the most unique feature of the Harappa Civilisation? 1mark
Ans: The most unique feature of the Harappa civilisation was the development of urban centres.
10. Mention the main two centres of Indus Valley.
Ans: Harappa and Mohenjodaro.
11. What were the Steatites?
Ans: Steatite, a very soft stone.
12. How red colour Carnelian obtained by Harappa people?
Ans: The red colour of carnelian was obtained by firing the yellowish raw material and beads at various stages of production.
13. Where was public bath and granaries found in Harappa during excavation?
Ans: At Mohenjo-Daro.
14. Indus civilization is famous for______?
Ans: It is famous for Urbanisation.
15. What was the Main business of Indus valley civilization?
Ans: Agriculture.
16. What was the main crop of Indus Valley civilization?
Ans: The main crop of Indus Valley civilization Wheat.
17. Who discovered the Indus Valley civilization?
Ans: Daya Ram Sahani and Rakhal Das Banerjee discovers the Indus Civilization.
18. Indus valley civilization belongs to which period?
Ans: Indus valley civilization belongs to Bronze Age.
19. Along what river did these ancient people build their cities?
Ans: Indus River.
20. Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro are located in what modern day country?
Ans: Pakistan.
21. What is a citadel?
Ans: A fort or fortress inside a city.
22. How many symbols were used in Harappa writing? Imark
Ans: 400 signs used in Harappa writing.
23. When did the Indus Valley Civilisation began?
Ans: It began around 2600 ВСЕ.
24. What red coloured stone did the Indus valley people used to make the jewelry?
Ans: Carnelian.
25. Who wrote “The Story of Indian Archaeology”? (HS 2024) 1mark
Ans: S.N. Roy wrote.
26. Which metal was not known to the Harappa people?
Ans: Iron was unknown to them.
27. What are the main sources of our knowledge about the Indus Valley Civilization?
Ans: Archaelogical excavations.
28. In which civilization the cotton was cultivated first? 1
Ans: Indus Valley Civilization.
29. Which town of the Indus Valley Civilization literally means “Mound of the dead?”
Ans: Mohanjodaro.
30. Which was the biggest building in Mohanjodaro?
Ans: The granary.
31. Silver were imported to Indus cities from which places?
Ans: Afghanistan and Iran.
Model questions and Answer for 2 marks :
1. How was the lower town different from the citadel in the towns of the Indus Valley Civilization? 2marks(2019)
Ans: (i) It was located in the lower areas but the citadel was in high areas
(ii) This part of the town was much larger than the citadel on the while was small in size.
2. Write briefly about the religious beliefs of the Harappan culture. 2marks(2018, 2013)
Ans: The religious beliefs of the Harappa culture were:
(i) The Indus Valley religion is polytheistic and is made up of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.
(ii) There are many seals to support the evidence of the Indus Valley Gods. Some seals show animals which resemble the two gods, Shiva and Rudra.
(iii) The Sun was regarded as one of the greatest gods. The horned figure is called Pashupati which means the lord of the cattle worshipped by them.
3. Mention any two characteristics of the Harappan civilization. 2marks (2017)
Ans: The significant features of the Indus Valley civilization are:
(i) Town Planning
(ii) Drainage system.
4. Give two reasons for considering the waste as useful material to reconstruct history. 2marks (2016)
Ans: Waste is one of the best indicators of craft work. (i) if shell or stone is cut to make objects, then pieces of these materials will be discarded as waste at the place of production.
(ii) Larger waste pieces were used up to make smaller objects.
5. Write two subsistence strategies of the people of Harappa. 2marks (2015)
Ans: The subsistence strategies of the people of Harappa were:
(i) The Harappans ate a wide range of plant and animal products, including fish.
(ii) They also had wheat, barley, lentil, chickpea and sesame. Millets are found from sites in Gujarat. Finds of rice are relatively rare.
6. Write two features of Harappa script. 2marks (2014)
Ans: The features of Harappa script are:
(i) Picture Writings.
(ii) Most inscriptions are short, the longest containing about 26 signs.
(iii) The script was written from right to left as some seals show a wider spacing on the right.
7. Mention two important areas of Harappa culture.2marks (2012)
Ans: The Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro sites.
8. What are the Archaeological sources to know about Hrappan people? 2marks
Ans: Their houses, pots, ornaments, tools and seals in other words, from archaeological evidence.
9. What is a sewer system? 2 marks
Ans: A system of connected pipes whose purpose is to remove waste water.
10. What is an artifact?
Ans: Artifacts are the remains of things that were made by the people, not the remains of living things. An archaeologist must know the different between an artifact and a fossil. Archaeologists looks for artifacts only.
11. Mention the different phases of Indus Valley Civilisation. 2marks
Ans: These are:
(i) the Early Harappan Phase from 3300 to 2600 BCE,
(ii) the Mature Harappan Phase from 2600 to 1900 BCE, and
(iii) the Late Harappan Phase from 1900 to 1300 BCE.
12. Which metals were mostly used to make the tools and weapons of Harappan Civilization? 2marks
Ans : Copper and bronze were mostly used to make the tools and weapons of Harappan Civilization.
Model questions and Answer for 3/4 marks :
1. What were the basic features of the great Bath found in Mohenjo-Daro? 4marks (2019)
Ans: (i)The Great Bath of Mohenjodaro is called the “earliest public water tank of the ancient world”.
(ii) It measures 11.88×7.01 metres, and has a maximum depth of 2.43 metres.
(iii) Two wide staircases, one from the north and one from the south, served as the entry to the structure.
(iv) A one-metre-wide and 40 centimeters high mound is present at the ends of these stairs.
2. Describe the layout of drains in Harappa city. 3 (2015)
Ans: One of the most distinctive features of Harappan cities was the carefully planned drainage system.
(i) Roads and streets were laid out along an approximate “grid” pattern, intersecting at right angles.
(ii) Streets with drains were laid out first and then houses built along them.
(iii) If domestic waste water had to flow into the street drains, every house needed to have at least one wall along a street.
3. How did Harappa people procure raw materials for craft production? 4marks(2014, 2012)
Ans: The list of materials required for craft production in the Harappan Civilisation: Stone, clay, copper, tin, bronze, gold, faience, shell, camelian, jasper, crystal, steatite, quartz, timber. These were procured by Harappa people in various way:
(i) Some of the raw materials were locally available whereas some were purchased from the distant places. Soil and wood were locally available raw materials. Stones, fine quality wood, metals were procured from distant places.
(ii) Settlements of the Harappans were situated at such places where raw materials were easily available. Nageshwar and Balacot were famous for shell.
(iii) Some places were famous for Lapis Lazuli like Shortughai in Afghanistan. Rajasthan and Gujarat were famous for copper. Lothal was famous for camelian.
(iv) Due to contact with distant lands such articles like copper was also probably brought from Oman, on the southeastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula.
4. Would you agree that the drainage system in Harappan cities indicates town planning? Give reasons for your answer.
Ans: Yes, I agree with that the drainage system in Harappa cities which indicates the town planning. I can cite the following reasons in support of my answer.
(i) The drainage system needed a planning for its execution. It seems that first drainages were laid out and then houses were built along with the drains.
(ii) Every house was supposed to have at least one wall along a street to allow the domestic waste water to flow out in the street drains.
(iii) The plans of the lower town show that roads and streets were laid out along an approximate grid pattern, intersecting at right angles.
(iv) It appears that human settlement was made by planning from the beginning. The city was restricted to a fixed area on the platforms.
5. Write a note on Agricultural technologies.
Ans: Agricultural technologies which had been used by the Harappa people were:
(i) Oxen were used for ploughing.
(ii) They also plough their land in two sets of furrows at right angles to each other, suggesting that two different crops were grown together.
(iii) Stone blades set in wooden handles used to harvest crops.
(iv) Water drawn from wells was used for irrigation. Besides, water reservoirs found in Dholavira (Gujarat) may have been used to store water for agriculture.
6. Give an account on Citadel.
Ans: Citadels are like:
(i) These were probably used for special public purposes.
(ii) These include the warehouse a massive structure of which the lower brick portions remain, while the upper portions, probably of wood, decayed long ago and the Great Bath.
(iii) The Citadel owes its height to the fact that buildings were constructed on mud brick platforms. It was walled, which meant that it was physically separated from the Lower Town.
7. Write short notes on the Great Bath.
Ans: The Great Bath of Mohenjo-Daro was:
(i) The Great Bath was a large rectangular tank in a courtyard surrounded by a corridor on all four sides.
(ii) There were two flights of steps on the north and south leading into the tank, which was made watertight by setting bricks on edge and using a mortar of gypsum.
(iii) There were rooms on three sides, in one of which was a large well.
(iv) Water from the tank flowed into a huge drain. Across a lane to the north lay a smaller building with eight bathrooms, four on each side of a corridor, with drains from each bathroom connecting to a drain that ran along the corridor.
8. Give a short description on weightage system of the Harappa people. 4marks
Ans: The exchanges were regulated by a precise system of weights, usually made of a stone called chert and generally cubical with no markings. The lower denominations of weights were binary (1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, etc. up to 12,800), while the higher denominations followed the decimal system. The smaller weights were probably used for weighing jewellery and beads. Metal scale-pans have also been found.
9. Mention the important sites for different fields in Harappa Civilisation. 4marks
Ans: The important sites were:
(i) Sites of agriculture: Harappa, Banawali, Kalibangan, Mohenjodaro, Dholavira (Gujarat).
(ii) Sites of craft production: Chanhudaro, Nageshwar, Balakot.
(iii) Sites of raw material: Nageshwar, Balakot, Khetri.
10. Write briefly about the social differences of the Harappa people. How can you find? 4marks
Ans: Social differences of the Harappa people can identify through their livelihoods i.e.:
(i) Burials: Sometimes, there were differences in the way the burial pit was made. Some graves contain pottery and ornaments, perhaps indicating a belief that these could be used in the afterlife.
(ii) Looking for “luxuries”: The artefacts are classified as utilitarian and luxuries by the archaeologists. Utilitarian objects are of daily use made fairly easily out of ordinary materials such as stone or clay.
(iii) Luxuries are those items if they are rare or made from costly, non-local materials or with complicated technologies. The situation becomes more complicated when we find what seem to be articles of daily use, such as spindle whorls made of rare materials such as faience.
11. Give a short description on the new technique used by the historians to know Indus Valley Civilisation.
Ans: Since the 1980s, there has also been growing international interest in Harappan archaeology.
(i) Specialists from the subcontinent and abroad have been jointly working at both Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro.
(ii) They are using modern scientific techniques including surface exploration to recover traces of clay, stone, metal and plant and animal remains as well as to minutely analyse every scrap of available evidence. These explorations promise to yield interesting results in the future.
Model questions and Answer for 5 marks:
1. Give a description of the town planning of the Harappa Civilization. 5marks (2018)
Ans: Mohenjodaro is the most well-known site, the first site to be discovered was Harappa. The settlement is divided into two sections, one smaller but higher, Citadel and the other much larger but lower.
(i) The Citadel owes its height to the fact that buildings were constructed on mud brick platforms. It was walled, which meant that it was physically separated from the Lower Town. (ii) The Lower Town was also walled. The residential buildings were centred on a courtyard, with rooms on all sides. The courtyard was probably the centre of activities such as cooking and weaving, particularly during hot and dry weather.
(iii) Once the platforms were in place, all building activity within the city was restricted to a fixed area on the platforms.
(iv) Every house had its own bathroom paved with bricks, with drains connected through the wall to the street drains.
(v) Other signs of planning include bricks, which, whether sun- dried or baked, were of a standardised ratio, where the length and breadth were four times and twice the height respectively.
2. What brought the end of the Harappa Civilization? 5marks (2016)
Or
Discuss the causes of downfall of the Harappan Civilization. (HS 2024)
Ans: The causes for the downfall of the Indus Valley Civilisation were:
(i) Floods: The massive floods in the Indus must have been a potent cause for the extinction of the Harappa culture. Repeated floods must have forced the people to flee the inundated places and set up permanent habitat elsewhere.
(ii) Earthquakes: Geographically, the Harappan culture occupied an area that was prone to earthquakes, due to which earthquakes repeatedly occurred and it fell down.
(iii) Change of the Course of the Indus: As such the Indus delta shifted away from Mohenjo-Daro and water became scarce. Water scarcity must have led to the the Harappan people shift to other places.
(iv) Foreign Invasion: Due to the invasion of Aryans and immediate atteack on the Harappan by weapons it declined.
(v) Climate Change: There was a fall in the average rainfall in the cities leading to the formation of desert-like condition.
This led to the decline in agriculture, which was the main occupation of the Harappans.
3. How do archaeologists trace socio-economic differences in Harappa society? What are the differences that they notice? 5marks
Ans: Following examples are the social and economic variations in the Harappan society.
(i) There were differences in the Way burial pits were made. At some instances, the hollowed-out spaces were lined with bricks. But these may not be taken as an indication of social differences.
(ii) In some graves pottery and ornaments have been found. Jewellery has been found from the graves of men and women as well. These findings can point out social and economic differences.
(iii) The artefacts have been classified into two categories, Utilitarian and Luxurious. Objects of daily uses and objects made of ordinary materials made of clay or stone come under utilitarian category. Ordinary articles consisted of querns, pottery, flesh-rubbers and needles. These have been found distributed throughout settlements.
(iv) Objects of luxuries were rare and made from precious, non-local materials. The technology used was advanced and complicated. These show the existence of social and economic variations in the Harappa society.
4. List the materials used to make beads in the Harappa Civilisation. Describe the process by which any one kind of bead was made. 5marks
Ans: (i) Making beads was an important craft of the Harappan people. It was mainly prevalent in Chanhudaro. Materials for making beads included beautiful red coloured stone-like camelian, jasper, crystal, quartz and steatite were used.
(ii) Besides these, use of copper, bronze, gold, shell, faience, terracotta or burnt clay was also used. Process of making beads Making of beads differed as per the materials used.
(iii) Beads had variety of shapes. They did not make geometrical shapes like one made of harder stones.
(iv) Nodules were to be chipped for making rough shapes. They were finally flaked into the final form.
(v) By firing the yellowish raw material, the red colour of camelian was obtained. Grinding, polishing and drilling constituted the last phase.
5. Describe some of the distinctive features of Mohenjo- Daro. 5 marks
Ans : distinctive features of Mohenjo-Daro were:
(i) Planned City: Harappa as a planned urban centre. It had two parts. One part of the city was small. It was built on a higher place. The second part was comparatively large. It was built on a lower place.
(ii) The Lower Town: It was also a walled town. Most of the buildings were built on platforms. In fact, these platforms were considered as foundation stones.
(iii) Drainage System: The drainage system was well planned. All the roads and streets were laid out on a grid pattern. They intersected one another at the right angles. It seems that streets featuring drains were laid out first and houses were built thereafter along with them. To make the flow of domestic water, every house had at least one wall along the street.
(iv) The Citadel: There were many buildings in the citadel. These buildings were used for many special public purposes. The warehouse and the Great Bath were the two most important constructions.
7. Discuss, how archaeologists reconstruct the past. 5
Ans: Archaeologists excavate the sites of the ancient past related to culture or civilization.
(i) They find out the art and craft such as seal, material. remains of houses, buildings, pots, ornaments, tools, coins. weights, measurements and toys, etc.
(ii) Skulls, bones, jaws, teeth of the dead bodies and materials kept with these dead bodies are also helpful for archaeologists.
(iii) Archaeologists try to find out the tools used in the process of cultivation and harvesting.
(iv) Different layers of sites are observed to find out different things. These things give the picture of socio-economic condition such as religious life and the cultural life of the people.
(v) Tools, unfinished products, waste materials, help in identifying the centres of craft production. Indirect evidences also help the archaeologists in reconstructing the past.
8. Discuss the functions that may have been performed by rulers in Harappan society. 5 marks
Ans: (i) The archaeologists suggest that the Harappan society had no rulers and so everybody enjoyed equal status.
(ii) According to others there was no single ruler but several ones.
(iii) Some other suggests that it is unlikely that entire communities could have collectively made and implemented such complex decisions.
(iv) Evidences show that complex decisions were taken and implemented in the Harappan society.
(v) Cleanliness, construction of buildings, wells, canals, granaries, was the responsibility of the ruler. Roads, lanes and drains were also constructed.
(vi) The rulers also looked after the welfare of the economy. They used to inspire the farmers to increase agricultural production.
9. Write an essay on the problems faced by the historians for interpretation of Indus Valley Civilisation. 5 marks
Ans: The problems of archaeological interpretation are perhaps most evident in attempts to reconstruct religious practices.
(i) Early archaeologists thought that certain objects which seemed unusual or unfamiliar may have had a religious significance.
(ii) Attempts have also been made to reconstruct religious beliefs and practices by examining seals, some of which seem to depict ritual scenes.
(iii) Others, with plant motifs, are thought to indicate nature worship. Some animals such as the one-horned animal, often called the “unicorn” depicted on seals seem to be mythical, composite creatures.
(iv) Many reconstructions of Harappan religion are made on the assumption that later traditions provide parallels with earlier ones.
(v) This is because archaeologists often move from the known to the unknown, that is, from the present to the past.
10. Describe the Administrative system of the Harappa Civilisation. 5marks
Ans: There are indications of complex decisions being taken and implemented in Harappan society.
Palaces and kings: A large building found at Mohenjodaro was labelled as a palace by archaeologists but no spectacular finds were associated with it. A stone statue was labelled and continues to be known as the “priest- king”.
Some archacologists are of the opinion that Harappan society had no rulers, whereas other archaeologist feels that there was no single ruler but several rulers, Mohenjodaro had a separate ruler, Harappa another. While some believe that there was a single state.
11. Draw an outline map of ancient India and make Harappa. Mohenjo-Daro, , Sanchi, Mathura and Paragjyotishpur. (2013)
Ans:
Advantages of AHSEC Class 12 History Solutions 2025 by The Treasure Notes:
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FAQs
Are there any chapter-wise solutions and important question answers available for AHSEC Class 12 History 2025?
Yes, chapter-wise solutions and important question answers for AHSEC Class 12 History Notes 2025 are available on The Treasure Notes website. These resources cover every aspect of the topic, including important question answers for exams as well as previous year question answers.
Where can I find the AHSEC Class 12 History-Solved question papers for 2012-2024?
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