Question

Collect illustrations of ten things made of stone, metal and clay produced and used at present. Compare these with the pictures of the Harappan civilisation in “Bricks, Beads And Bones: The Harappan Civilisation”, and discuss the similarities and differences that you find.

Answer 1

Item No.	Modern Object & Material	Harappan Counterpart	Cultural Continuity (Similarities)	Technological Change (Differences)
1.	Sil-Batta (Granite)	Saddle Quern (Sandstone)	Both use a small top stone rolling on a large base stone to grind food.	Modern versions have uniform shapes; Harappan ones were irregular.
2.	Market Weights (Iron/Brass)	Chert Weights (Iron/Brass)	Both follow strict weight systems to keep trade fair in local markets.	Modern weights are round/hexagonal; ancient weights were perfect cubes.
3.	Water Pot / Matka (Clay)	Storage Jar (Terracotta)	Both are shaped on a potter’s wheel and baked in a kiln to store water.	Modern pots have narrow neck openings; Harappan jars had wider rims.
4.	Building Bricks (Clay/Fly-ash)	Standardised Bricks (Clay)	Both use baked soil blocks to construct strong, load-bearing walls.	Modern sizing varies heavily; Harappan bricks strictly used a 4:2:1 ratio.
5.	Festive Diya (Terracotta)	Shallow Oil Lamps (Clay)	Both hold liquid oil and a cotton wick to create light for rituals.	Modern diyas use colourful chemical paints; ancient ones were plain clay.