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U.P.P.C.S. (Spl) Mains 2008

Origin of Settlements

Authentic Past Paper Standard Evaluation

Name the site which has revealed the earliest evidence of settled life?

Solution & Analysis

Answer: D

Concept 'Settled life' implies permanent architecture (mud bricks), organized food production, and a departure from nomadic wandering.

Explanation Mehrgarh (7000 BCE) shows multi-room mud-brick houses and storage granaries, predating the urban Harappan phase by thousands of years.

Logical Breakup
Mehrgarh (D): The transition from wandering to permanent village life is documented here more clearly and earlier than any other site in the subcontinent.
Dholavira/Kalibangan: These are much later urban settlements of the mature Harappan period.

Active Recall

Question

What kind of housing did early settlers at Mehrgarh use?

Answer

They built small, rectangular houses made of sun-dried mud bricks, often divided into four internal compartments for living and storage.

Core Insight

Mehrgarh represents the 'Cradle of Indus Civilization,' where humans first established stable, enduring communities in South Asia.

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