upscools
U.P.P.C.S. Prelims 1990

Archaeological Dating

Authentic Past Paper Standard Evaluation

The important reason to keep Indus-Valley civilization before Aryan civilization is-

Solution & Analysis

Answer: D

Concept In the absence of a deciphered script, archaeologists use 'type fossils' like pottery to establish relative and absolute chronologies of ancient cultures.

Explanation Harappan pottery (distinctive red and black painted ware) is stratigraphically older than the Painted Grey Ware (PGW) associated with the Vedic Aryans.

Logical Breakup
Potteries (D): The evolution and sequence of ceramic styles (Harappan vs. PGW) are the most scientifically reliable ways to date these two cultures.
Script: Cannot be used as a reason for sequence since the Harappan script is undeciphered and the early Aryan culture was oral.

Active Recall

Question

What is the distinctive pottery of the Harappans?

Answer

It is typically a bright or dark red slip with designs painted in black, known as Black-on-Red ware.

Core Insight

Pottery is the 'alphabet of the archaeologist'; it allows for the precise mapping of cultural successions where written history is silent.

Practice Navigation