Module: | Subsistence, Agriculture & Animal Hubandry
Q6: Consider the following statements regarding the dietary practices and archaeo-botanical evidence of the Harappan civilization:
1. The Harappans consumed a wide range of plant and animal products, with finds of wheat, barley, lentil, chickpea, and sesame being common at mature Harappan sites.
2. Finds of rice are relatively rare compared to other grains, while millets have been found specifically from sites in Gujarat.
3. The dietary practices of the Harappans are reconstructed by archaeo-zoologists who specialize in the study of ancient plant remains.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
2. Finds of rice are relatively rare compared to other grains, while millets have been found specifically from sites in Gujarat.
3. The dietary practices of the Harappans are reconstructed by archaeo-zoologists who specialize in the study of ancient plant remains.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
✅ Correct Answer: A
🎯 Quick Answer:
Option A is the correct answer because statement 3 is factually incorrect.Structural Breakdown: The agricultural dietary base consisted heavily of winter crops like wheat and barley, alongside legumes such as lentil and chickpea.
Millets formed a crucial part of the diet in the Gujarat region, whereas rice cultivation was evidently much less prominent.
Historical/Related Context: The reconstruction of ancient dietary habits is highly specialized.
Archaeo-botanists are the experts who study ancient plant remains, whereas archaeo-zoologists (or zooarchaeologists) are the specialists who analyze animal bones.
Causal Reasoning: The rarity of rice finds suggests that the semi-arid climate and the specific water management techniques of the core Harappan regions were better suited for hardy crops like wheat, barley, and millets rather than water-intensive rice cultivation.