Q. Consider the following statements:
- Harappan civilization was familiar with the production of bronze by mixing copper and tin
- One of the hallmarks of Harappan civilization is abundance of high quality bronze tools and artifacts
Which of the following is correct regarding above?
Answer:
Only 1
Notes: The Harappan civilization was indeed familiar with the production of bronze by mixing copper and tin. However, neither copper nor tin was locally available in the region. Instead, the evidence suggests that the Harappans imported both metals from other regions. Copper was likely sourced from the Khetri mines in present-day Rajasthan and possibly from Baluchistan, while tin was probably brought from Afghanistan and the Hazaribagh Plateau. This dependence on imported metals may have contributed to the limited use of bronze in the Harappan civilization, as the supply of tin was not always reliable and the impurities in the ore would have made it challenging to produce high-quality bronze. As a result, the percentage of tin in Harappan bronze artefacts is lower, and the overall abundance of bronze tools is also limited.