NCERT Class 6 History Solution Chapter 4 In the Earliest Cities
Q1. How do archaeologists know that cloth was used in the Harappan civilization?
Answer: At Mohenjodaro, actual bits of fabric were discovered connected to the lid of a silver pitcher and some copper artefacts. Spindle whorls made of terracotta and faience have also been discovered by archaeologists. The purpose of these was to spin thread.
2. Match the columns
| Copper | Gujarat |
| Gold | Afghanistan |
| Tin | Rajasthan |
| Precious Stones | Karnataka |
Answer:
| Copper | Rajasthan |
| Gold | Karnataka |
| Tin | Afghanistan |
| Precious Stones | Gujarat, Afghanistan |
3. Why were metals, writing, the wheel and the plough important for the Harappans?
Answer:
Metals- employed in the manufacture of tools, decorations, containers, and weaponry.
Writing – for the sake of communicating.
Wheels- used to make pottery and carts for travel.
Plough – used for agricultural purposes.
Let’s Discuss
4. Make a list of all the terracotta toys shown in the lesson. Which do you think children would have enjoyed playing the most?
Answer:
- Toy Plough
- Toy Cart
- Many Terracota toys in the shape of different animals
5. Make a list of what the Harappans ate and put a tick mark against the things you eat today.
Answer:
We can list 9 different items.
- Wheat
- Rice
- Pulses
- Peas
- Barley
- Fruits
- Mustard
- Linseed
- Sesame
6. Do you think that the life of farmers and herders who supplied food to the Harappan cities was different from that of the farmers and herders you read about in Chapter 2? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer:
Irrigation – Unlike their later counterparts, earlier farmers and herders did not have access to irrigation infrastructure.
Farmers utilised clay pots and baskets for storage in the early stages, but later stage farmers used well-built granaries.
Tools – Previously, farmers did not have access to wooden tools such as ploughs for tilling the ground.