Module: | Archaeological Discovery & Civilization Decline
Q44: Consider the following statements regarding the Aryan Invasion Theory and its subsequent debunking by modern archaeology:
1. In 1947, archaeologist R.E.M. Wheeler proposed that a violent massacre by invading Aryans caused the collapse, basing his theory on unburied skeletons found in a late phase at Mohenjodaro.
2. Wheeler correlated his archaeological findings with the ancient Rigveda, which frequently mentions the deity Indra functioning as Purandara, meaning the destroyer of forts.
3. George Dales later confirmed Wheeler's theory in 1964 by discovering massive caches of foreign, iron-based weapons scattered across the Citadel of Mohenjodaro.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
2. Wheeler correlated his archaeological findings with the ancient Rigveda, which frequently mentions the deity Indra functioning as Purandara, meaning the destroyer of forts.
3. George Dales later confirmed Wheeler's theory in 1964 by discovering massive caches of foreign, iron-based weapons scattered across the Citadel of Mohenjodaro.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
✅ Correct Answer: A
🎯 Quick Answer:
Option A is the correct answer because statement 3 is a historical fallacy; George Dales actually debunked the invasion theory, not confirmed it.Structural Breakdown: R.E.M. Wheeler found groups of skeletons lying in the streets of Mohenjodaro.
Combining this with the Rigvedic descriptions of Indra destroying enemy forts (puras), Wheeler famously declared, "Indra stands accused" of the Harappan destruction.
Historical/Related Context: In 1964, archaeologist George Dales critically re-examined Wheeler's evidence in an essay titled "The Mythical Massacre at Mohenjodaro." Dales pointed out massive flaws in the stratigraphic analysis.
Causal Reasoning: Statement 3 is completely false.
Dales definitively debunked the invasion theory.
He proved that the skeletons were found in completely different stratigraphic layers, meaning these people died hundreds of years apart, not in a single violent event.
Furthermore, absolutely no extensive burning, armor, or foreign weapons were found in the final occupational levels to suggest a battle or a siege.