NCERT Solutions Class 6 Social Science History

Chapter 3: In the Earliest Cities

1. How do archaeologists know that cloth was used in the Harappan civilisation?

Answer: Archaeologists found the actual pieces of cloth attached to the lid of a silver vase at the Mohenjo-Daro. They also found spindle whorls, which was used to make the threads. Cotton cloth is the processed material made from the cotton. Thus from the above research, archaeologists found that cloth was used in the Harappan civilisation.

2. Match the columns

Explanation:

Harappans got copper from Rajasthan.

Gold was found from Karnataka.

Tin was mixed with copper metal to produce bronze, found from Iran and Afghanistan.

Precious stones were found from Gujarat, Iran and Afghanistan.

3. Why were metals, writing, the wheel, and the plough important for the Harappans?

Answer:

• The metals were used to make weapons, vessels, tools, and ornaments.
• The writings were a part of the script. It includes large letters of the Harappan script that were carved out of the white stone and inlaid in wood.
• The wheel was used to make carts, which helps in transporting goods from one place to another. It was also used in making pottery.
• The plough was used to dig the earth for turning the soil and planting seeds.

4. Make a list of all the terracotta toys shown in the lesson. Which do you think children would have enjoyed playing the most?

Answer: The terracotta toys shown in the lesson are toy plough, toy animals, and a toy cart. The children would have enjoyed playing with toy animals the most because it was available in different shapes and colours.

5. Make a list of what the Harappans ate, and put a tick mark against the things you eat today.

Answer: The Harappans ate the following:

• Wheat
• Barley
• Pulses
• Peas
• Rice
• Sesame
• Line seed
• Mustard

The things that we eat today are:

• Wheat
• Pulses
• Peas
• Rice
• Sesame

6. Do you think that the life of farmers and herders who supplied food to the Harappan cities was different from that of the farmers and herders you read about in Chapter 2? Give reasons for your answer.

Answer: Yes, the life of farmers and herders who supplied food to the Harappan cities was different from that of the farmers and herders you read about in Chapter 2.

• Farmers in Chapter 2 cultivate and grow the crops, while herders keep the animals in herds to protect them from the wild animals. Farmers in this chapter supplied food to crafts persons, scribes and rulers in the cities.
• Farmers in Chapter 2 depend on rain for irrigation of crops, while farmers in this chapter have the storage facility of water. They used the stored water to supply the fields where plants were growing.