Q. Consider the following statements:

1. The earliest archaeological evidence for the practice of cremation in the Indian subcontinent is found in the Swat Valley region.
2. Textual evidence from both the Rig Veda and the Atharva Veda indicates that animals were frequently burnt together with the human dead during funerary rituals.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?
Answer: Both 1 and 2
Notes: Archaeological excavations reveal the first appearance of cremation in the Swat Valley. Rig Veda funeral hymns describe burning a goat with the deceased, and the Atharva Veda refers to the cremation of an ox with the dead, indicating the ritual burning of animals with humans was practiced in Vedic times. Thus, both statements are correct.