Relevant Titles
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CBSE Class 12: Harappan Artifacts & Craft Production — 60 NCERT MCQs
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Harappan Craft Production MCQs for Class 12 — Timed Practice Test
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Class 12 History Quiz — Beads, Seals, Faience & Harappan Technology (NCERT)
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Harappan Artifacts: MCQs for CBSE Class 12 Board Exam Revision
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NCERT-Aligned Class 12 History: Harappan Crafts and Trade — Objective Questions
Introduction
The topic “Harappan Artifacts and Craft Production” under Part A: Early Societies and Cultures — Theme 1: Bricks, Beads and Bones is central to understanding the material economy and technological skills of the Indus (Harappan) civilisation. This NCERT-aligned practice set offers a focused 60-question multiple-choice quiz for CBSE Class 12 students, designed to reinforce knowledge of hallmark crafts — bead-making (carnelian, faience), seal-carving, pottery, metallurgy (bronze), shell-working and textile production. Questions emphasise evidence (workshops, drill-bits, kiln remains), techniques (lost-wax casting, faience glazing, bow-drill use), and the long-distance trade networks that supplied raw materials like lapis lazuli and tin. The timed 60-minute format, automatic scoring and per-question feedback simulate exam conditions and help learners identify gaps quickly. Use this resource for targeted revision, classroom practice or self-assessment: each question links factual recall with interpretive explanation to build the conceptual clarity and exam confidence expected in the CBSE Class 12 History paper.
Sample MCQs with Explanations
Q1. Which material is most closely associated with Harappan faience production?
A. Iron
B. Glazed silicate (faience) made from quartz and alkaline glazing agents
C. Unfired clay only
D. Pure gold
Answer: B — Glazed silicate (faience) made from quartz and alkaline glazing agents.
Explanation: Harappan faience is a glazed non-clay silicate whose manufacture required controlled recipes and firing to produce bright blue-green beads and small objects.
Q2. The presence of drill-slots and abundant drill-bits at a site most directly indicates:
A. Textile weaving
B. Intensive bead production involving fine perforation (bow-drill technique)
C. Monumental stone quarrying only
D. Grain storage activity
Answer: B — Intensive bead production involving fine perforation (bow-drill technique).
Explanation: Drill tools and perforation waste point to specialised bead workshops where artisans used bow drills for precise holes.
Q3. Lapis lazuli found in Harappan contexts demonstrates:
A. Local origin of all raw materials
B. Long-distance exchange links (e.g., with Badakhshan/Afghanistan)
C. Use of only synthetic materials
D. Exclusive maritime trade with Southeast Asia
Answer: B — Long-distance exchange links (e.g., with Badakhshan/Afghanistan).
Explanation: Lapis lazuli’s geological source (Afghanistan) reveals the wide reach of Harappan trade for rare semi-precious stones.
Q4. Which metallurgical technique known from Harappan contexts allowed production of complex bronze shapes?
A. Cold hammering only
B. Lost-wax (cire-perdue) casting and alloying copper with tin
C. Plastic injection moulding
D. Wood carving
Answer: B — Lost-wax (cire-perdue) casting and alloying copper with tin.
Explanation: Evidence of casting moulds and alloying indicates knowledge of bronze technology and sophisticated metalworking techniques.
Q5. Standardised weights and uniform bead sizes across sites most likely point to:
A. Purely ceremonial manufacture with no trade function
B. Organised production, quality control and integration into long-distance trade networks
C. Random artisan preference at each locality
D. Exclusive household-only craft with no exchange
Answer: B — Organised production, quality control and integration into long-distance trade networks.
Explanation: Consistent standards imply regulatory norms, commercial conduct and inter-site technical exchange that supported trade.