Class 12 History - KERALA
Bricks Beads and Bones
Bricks Beads and Bones is the first chapter in Class 12 History, focusing on the Harappan Civilisation, also known as the Indus Valley Civilisation. It explores the archaeological evidence left behind by this ancient urban society, including residential buildings, town planning, specialized crafts like bead making, seals, weights, and bones. Students will learn how archaeologists piece together the socio-economic, political, and religious life of Harappans while examining the challenges of deciphering their script. This chapter holds high weightage in Kerala SCERT board exams, frequently featuring questions on town planning, drainage systems, and archaeological interpretation.
Start Learning FreeKey Concepts
Harappan Town Planning
Cities like Mohenjodaro were divided into a raised citadel (for public/administrative structures) and a lower town (for residential use), built on a strict grid-iron system with roads cutting each other at right angles.
Drainage System
One of the most striking features of Harappan cities was the meticulous domestic drain system connected to street drains, covered with stone slabs for easy cleaning, showing advanced concern for public hygiene.
Craft Production
Chanhudaro was the center for craft production including bead making, shell cutting, metalworking, seal making, and weight making, utilizing raw materials like carnelian, jasper, crystal, and copper.
Subsistence Strategies
The Harappans ate a wide range of plant and animal products, including wheat, barley, lentils, and millets. Animal bones found at sites indicate that cattle, sheep, goat, buffalo, and pig were domesticated.
Problems of Decipherment
The Harappan script remains undeciphered to this day because it is brief (rarely exceeding 20 signs), alphabetic writing is absent, and there is no bilingual inscription to help translate it.
Important Formulas
Board Exam Info
In Kerala SCERT Class 12 History examinations, this chapter typically carries around 8 to 12 marks. Common question types include objective multiple-choice questions, short answers on features of town planning or crafts, and source-based or essay-type questions discussing the social differences or decline of the Harappan Civilisation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the Harappan Civilisation called the Indus Valley Civilisation?
It is called the Indus Valley Civilisation because the earliest and most prominent sites of this culture were discovered in the valley of the River Indus and its tributaries.
How do archaeologists reconstruct the religious beliefs of the Harappans?
Archaeologists reconstruct religious beliefs through terracotta figurines of mother goddesses, seals depicting a figure resembling proto-Shiva surrounded by animals, and sacred structures like the Great Bath which likely had ritual significance.
Why is the Harappan script considered an enigma?
The script is an enigma because it remains undeciphered; it contains signs that are not alphabetic, is written mostly from right to left, and lacks any long bilingual inscriptions to aid translation.
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