In the earliest cities the western part was dash and eastern part was dash
Answers
Answer:Very often, old buildings have a story to tell. Nearly
a hundred and fifty years ago, when railway lines
were being laid down for the first time in the
Punjab, engineers stumbled upon the site of
Harappa in present-day Pakistan. To them, it
seemed like a mound that was a rich source of
ready made, high quality bricks. So they carried
off thousands of bricks from the walls of the old
buildings of the city to build railway lines. Many
buildings were completely destroyed.
Then, about eighty years ago, archaeologists
found the site, and realised that this was one of
the oldest cities in the subcontinent. As this was
the first city to be discovered, all other sites from
where similar buildings (and other things) were
found were described as Harappan. These cities
developed about 4700 years ago.
Very often, old buildings are pulled down to
make way for new construction. Do you think it
is important to preserve old buildings?
CHAPTER 3
IN THE EARLIEST CITIES
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25 n
What was special about these cities?
Many of these cities were divided into two or more
parts. Usually, the part to the west was smaller
but higher. Archaeologists describe this as the
citadel. Generally, the part to the east was larger
but lower. This is called the lower town. Very often
walls of baked brick were built around each part.
The bricks were so well baked that they have
lasted for thousands of years. The bricks were
laid in an interlocking pattern and that made the
walls strong.
In some cities, special
buildings were constructed
on the citadel. For example,
in Mohenjodaro, a very
special tank, which
archaeologists call the Great
Bath, was built in this area.
This was lined with bricks,
coated with plaster, and
made water-tight with a layer
of natural tar. There were
steps leading down to it from
two sides, while there were
rooms on all sides. Water was
probably brought in from a
well, and drained out after
use. Perhaps important
people took a dip in this tank
on special occasions.
Other cities, such as
Kalibangan and Lothal had
fire altars, where sacrifices
may have been performed.
And some cities like
Mohenjodaro, Harappa, and
Lothal had elaborate store
houses.
These cities were found in
the Punjab and Sind in
Pakistan, and in Gujarat,
Rajasthan, Haryana and
the Punjab in India.
Archaeologists have found
a set of unique objects in
almost all these cities: red
pottery painted with
designs in black, stone
weights, seals, special
beads, copper tools, and
paralleled sided long stone
blades.
MAP : 3
The Earliest Cities
in the Subcontinent
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n 26
OUR PASTS–I
Houses, drHouses, dr Houses, drains and streets
Generally, houses were either one or two storeys
high, with rooms built around a courtyard. Most
houses had a separate bathing area, and some
had wells to supply water.
Many of these cities had covered drains. Notice
how carefully these were laid out,
in straight lines. Although you
cannot see it, each drain had a
gentle slope so that water could flow
through it. Very often, drains in
houses were connected to those on
the streets and smaller drains led
into bigger ones. As the drains were
covered, inspection holes were
provided at intervals to clean them.
All three — houses, drains and
streets — were probably planned
and built at the same time.
List at least two differences
between the houses described here
and those that you studied about
in Chapter 2.
The Great Bath
How bricks were
arranged to build walls
in Harappan cities
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27 n
Life in the city
A Harappan city was a very busy place.
There were people who planned the
construction of special buildings in the city.
These were probably the rulers. It is likely
that the rulers sent people to distant lands
to get metal, precious stones, and other
things that they wanted. They may have
kept the most valuable objects, such as
ornaments of gold and silver, or beautiful
beads, for themselves. And there were
scribes, people who knew how to write, who
helped prepare the seals, and perhaps
wrote on other materials that have not
survived.
Besides, there were men and women,
crafts persons, making all kinds of things
— either in their own homes, or in special
workshops. People were travelling to
distant lands or returning with raw
materials and, perhaps, stories. Many
terracotta toys have been found and
children must have played with these.
Make a list of the people who lived in the city.
Were any of these people listen
Explanation: