Vision Academy EducareVision Academy Educare
Question 25 of 63 · Indus Valley Civilisation
Questionhard
This question was previously asked in

SSC

Large quantities of ostrich eggshell, including an engraved piece, have been found at which Upper Palaeolithic site in Maharashtra?

Answer View answer ▾

Answer: Option A — Patne

Detailed Solution

Patne, in the Jalgaon district of Maharashtra, is an Upper Palaeolithic site where large quantities of ostrich eggshell have been found.

About Patne:

  • It was excavated in the 1970s by Sheila Mishra (Deccan College, Pune) and others.
  • It shows a sequence of Middle Palaeolithic, Upper Palaeolithic and Mesolithic layers.

Important finds:

  • Many fragments of ostrich eggshell, including beads made from eggshell.
  • An engraved piece of ostrich eggshell, with a criss-cross design, dated to about 25,000 years ago.
  • This is one of the earliest examples of art (decorated objects) in India.
  • Blade tools and burins of the Upper Palaeolithic period.

Ostriches in ancient India:

  • Today, ostriches live only in Africa.
  • But the eggshell finds at Patne and many other sites in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra show that ostriches lived in India during the Palaeolithic period, when the climate was drier and grasslands were common.
  • A 2021 study of eggshell DNA suggested that the ostriches of ancient India were related to African ostriches, and that the birds reached India through land connections long ago.
  • Ostrich eggshells were used as containers for water and to make beads.

About the Upper Palaeolithic:

  • It is the last phase of the Palaeolithic, from about 40,000 to about 10,000 years ago.
  • It is associated with modern humans (Homo sapiens).
  • Its tools are made from long, thin flakes called "blades", and "burins" (chisel-like tools).
  • Bone tools and art objects become more common in this phase.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗Bhimbetka (Madhya Pradesh) is famous for rock shelters and paintings.
  • ✗Adamgarh (Madhya Pradesh) is a Mesolithic site.
  • ✗Langhnaj (Gujarat) is a Mesolithic site.

Quick tip

Remember: Patne = Maharashtra (Jalgaon district; ostrich eggshell with an engraved criss-cross design, about 25,000 years old); ostriches lived in India in the Palaeolithic.

💬 Discussions on this question

Ask a doubt ›

Still stuck on this question? Ask our faculty and fellow students — answers appear here.

Ask a doubt

More Indus Valley Civilisation Questions

View all ›
  1. Q1.Evidence of fire altars has been found at which Harappan sites?
  2. Q2.The Harappan archaeological site of Surkotada is situated in:
  3. Q3.Who is known as the 'Father of Indian Archaeology'?
  4. Q4.The Great Bath of Mohenjo-daro was made watertight using a thick layer of:
  5. Q5.Most Harappan cities were divided into which two parts?

More General Knowledge Questions

  1. Q1.The techniques of Rasa and Bhava used in Indian classical dance trace their origin to which ancient text?Indian Dance Forms
  2. Q2.Lavani, Powada, Koli, Waghya Murali and Dhangari Gaja are folk dances of which state?Indian Dance Forms
  3. Q3.The one-act play associated with the Sattriya tradition of Assam is called:Indian Dance Forms
  4. Q4.Which dance form of Goa is known as the 'Warrior Dance'?Indian Dance Forms
  5. Q5.Manipuri dance is based on the Rasleela themes of:Indian Dance Forms

Indus Valley Civilisation — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Indus Valley Civilisation, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

The Indus Valley (Harappan) Civilisation was one of the world's earliest urban civilisations, flourishing around 2500-1900 BCE. This topic covers its major sites, town planning, drainage, seals, script, trade, crafts, religious beliefs and the theories about its decline. Questions mostly link a site to its feature or its present-day location: the Great Bath at Mohenjo-daro, the dockyard at Lothal (Gujarat), the ploughed field at Kalibangan (Rajasthan) and the water reservoirs at Dholavira. Remember that Harappa was the first site excavated, by Daya Ram Sahni in 1921, and that the Harappan script has still not been deciphered. Practise the Indus Valley Civilisation questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

‹ All Indus Valley Civilisation questionsBrowse all topics ›