Module: General Practice
Q12: Consider the following statements regarding the techniques of bead-making and material processing in the Harappan civilization:
1. Steatite, being an exceptionally hard and brittle stone, was extremely difficult to carve and was therefore rarely utilized by Harappan bead makers.
2. Some beads were molded out of a paste made with steatite powder, which permitted the creation of various complex shapes unlike harder geometric stones.
3. The distinctive red colour of carnelian was obtained by firing the yellowish raw material and the beads themselves at various stages of production.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
2. Some beads were molded out of a paste made with steatite powder, which permitted the creation of various complex shapes unlike harder geometric stones.
3. The distinctive red colour of carnelian was obtained by firing the yellowish raw material and the beads themselves at various stages of production.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
✅ Correct Answer: B
🎯 Quick Answer:
Option B is the correct answer because statement 1 is factually incorrect regarding the physical properties of steatite.Structural Breakdown: Carnelian, a beautiful red stone, was processed through a complex heating technique.
The raw nodule was yellowish; artisans fired it, chipped it into rough shapes, precisely flaked it, and finally polished and drilled it.
Steatite paste was used for micro-beads and complex molds.
Historical/Related Context: Specialized drills used in these advanced manufacturing processes have been excavated at Chanhudaro, Lothal, and more recently at Dholavira, indicating that the technology was standardized and shared across different regional craft centers.
Causal Reasoning: Statement 1 is false because steatite is actually a very soft stone, not a hard one.
Its softness is precisely what made it the most widely used material in Harappan craft, as it could easily be carved, ground into powder, and mixed into a paste to mold into shapes that were impossible to achieve with harder stones like agate or jasper.