From which present-day region did the Harappans probably obtain gold?

According to NCERT, the Harappans probably obtained gold from present-day Karnataka, where the Kolar and Hutti gold fields are located.

Gold in the Harappan civilisation:

• Gold was a precious metal, and was used mainly to make jewellery.
• Gold ornaments found at Harappan sites include necklaces, beads, bangles, armlets and pendants.
• A hoard of jewellery, including gold and silver objects, was found at a site in the Indus region, buried in a pot.
• Gold was much rarer than copper and was used only by wealthy people.

Raw materials and trade:

The Harappans did not have all the raw materials they needed in their own region, so they obtained them through trade and expeditions.

According to NCERT, they obtained:

• Gold: probably from Karnataka.
• Precious stones: from Gujarat, Iran and Afghanistan.
• Other metals such as tin: possibly from distant regions.
• They may have sent expeditions to areas such as the Kolar region to obtain gold, and to other areas for stones.

Gold fields of Karnataka:

• "Kolar Gold Fields" (KGF): one of the oldest and deepest gold mines in the world; they were closed in 2001.
• "Hutti Gold Mines" (Raichur district): now India's main producer of gold.
• Ancient gold workings have been found in the Hutti and Kolar areas.

About gold production in India today:

India produces only a small amount of gold, most of it from Karnataka; India imports most of the gold it uses.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Afghanistan was a source of lapis lazuli.
• ✗Gujarat was a source of semi-precious stones.
• ✗Sindh was part of the Harappan heartland, but it is not a source of gold.