Module: | Subsistence, Agriculture & Animal Hubandry
Q8: Consider the following statements regarding the agricultural technologies and field ploughing practices of the Harappans:
1. Terracotta models of the plough have been discovered at archaeological sites in Cholistan and at Banawali in Haryana.
2. The ploughed field discovered at Kalibangan in Rajasthan showed a single, uniform set of furrows, indicating the cultivation of only one crop at a time.
3. The widespread discovery of terracotta bulls and their depictions on seals suggest that the bull was known, leading archaeologists to extrapolate that oxen were used for ploughing.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
2. The ploughed field discovered at Kalibangan in Rajasthan showed a single, uniform set of furrows, indicating the cultivation of only one crop at a time.
3. The widespread discovery of terracotta bulls and their depictions on seals suggest that the bull was known, leading archaeologists to extrapolate that oxen were used for ploughing.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
✅ Correct Answer: C
🎯 Quick Answer:
Option C is correct because statement 2 inaccurately describes the structural layout of the ploughed field found at Kalibangan.Structural Breakdown: The primary evidence for traction agriculture comes from terracotta plough models found in Banawali and Cholistan.
Furthermore, the actual ploughed field excavated at Kalibangan (Early Harappan level) revealed two distinct sets of furrows intersecting at right angles.
Historical/Related Context: The right-angle furrow pattern is a highly sophisticated agricultural technique that is still used in some parts of modern India to grow two different crops simultaneously in the same field, thereby optimizing space and seasonal rainfall.
Causal Reasoning: Because wooden ploughshares decompose over millennia, archaeologists must rely on indirect evidence like terracotta models and seal depictions of bulls.
The combination of these artifacts provides a strong, logical basis to conclude that oxen-drawn ploughs were the standard mechanism for tilling the soil across the civilization.