Consider the following statements regarding the economic structure and metallurgy of the Harappan Civilization: 1. The Harappans manufactured bronze tools by alloying copper with tin, though tin had to be imported from distant sources such as Afghanistan and Central Asia. 2. The use of iron was fully developed and widely applied in crafting agricultural implements across all major urban centers. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

💡 Solution & Explanation

The Harappan civilization belonged to the Bronze Age, where metallurgists mastered the technique of mixing copper and tin to produce durable bronze artifacts. Iron technology was completely unknown to the Indus people and emerged much later during the Vedic and post-Vedic periods around 1000 BCE in northern India. Trade networks facilitated the procurement of rare raw materials including lapis lazuli and tin. The copper-bronze casting technique was famously exemplified by the Dancing Girl figurine discovered at Mohenjo-daro.