In the earliest cities

Sahitya is an archaeologist, and she wants to visit Harappa. It was a city in the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation, and only its ruins remain today. What is the modern day location of this archaeological site?

• a.in Gujarat, near Lothal

• b.in Bihar

• c.in Punjab, eastern Pakistan

• d.near Iran

Sahitya just got her visa to visit Pakistan. Upon reaching the archaeological site of the Indus Valley Civilisation, she found that the cities there were divided into two parts. The part to the west was smaller but higher, and the part to the east was larger but lower. What is the higher part of the city known as?

• a.the Great Bath

• b.bitadel

• c.citadel

• d.gigadel

Aditya wants to pursue a career in Construction Engineering. So he visited some ancient cities of the Indus Valley Civilisation, and found that special buildings were constructed in the citadel, the higher part of the city. He was surprised to know that even back then, thousands of years ago, people used bricks to make buildings. What was special about the bricks used in the cities of the Indus Valley Civilisation?

• a.They were baked and made waterproof.

• b.They were made of iron and steel.

• c.They were colourful and small in size.

• d.They were baked and laid in an interlocking pattern.

Most people today have water running from taps in their homes, but it was not so in the ancient times. In fact, most people used to get together in public baths to wash. However, the Great Bath in a city of the Indus Valley Civilisation was used only by important people, and it is a famous structure because one it is of the first public baths in the world. Where would you find it?

• a.Lothal

• b.Mohenjo-daro

• c.Dholavira

• d.Kalibangan

The Great Bath in Monhenjo-daro is 11.88 metres by 7.01 metres across, and it's 2.43 metres deep. There are steps on both sides that lead to the bottom of the bath, and it also has rooms on all sides. What materials were used to build the Great Bath?

• a.bricks, natural tar, and plaster for coating

• b.iron, bricks, and natural tar

• c.cement, stone, and mud

• d.sand, stone, and wood

Houses in the cities of Indus Valley Civilisation were either one or two-storeyed, had rooms built around a courtyard, a separate bathing area with wells to supply water, and drains to carry away waste water. But why were there slopes in those drains?

• a.to allow the water to get into the soil

• b.to save rain water

• c.to allow water to flow easily, without clogging the drains

• d.to separate the dirt from water

Indus Valley was a merchant-oriented civilization that originated in present-day Pakistan and India, on the coasts of the Arabian sea. The people who planned the cities of Indus Valley Civilisation were rulers, and they sent their people to distant lands to get metals, precious stones, and other things used in making many useful things such as toys, seals, and ornaments. Who made those things?

• a.traders

• b.peasants

• c.craftspeople

• d.teachers

Harappans knew the art of making artefacts from stone, shells, and metals, and they also made seals from stone. What was generally carved on their seals?

• a.birds

• b.animals

• c.eggs

• d.humans

Mona's father sells clay pots. He has hired some specialists to make pots for him. In the Harappan culture, the craftsmen made various artifacts. What does the term specialist mean?

• a.a person who is trained to do only one kind of work

• b.a person who is trained to all kinds of work

• c.a person who made seals

• d.a person who wrote inscription

You can see the remains of the the ancient cities of Harappa, Mohenjo-daro, Lothal, and Dholavira in present-day India and Pakistan. And each of these cities have ruins of buildings and drainage systems that were both big and well-designed. Dholavira was divided into three parts, and each part was covered with massive stone walls and entrances. Where is Dholavira located?

• a.in present-day Gujarat in the west of India

• b.in present-day Madhya Pradesh in central India

• c.in present-day Bengal in the east of India

• d.in present-day Karnataka in the south of India