(b) What articles were the Harappan craftsmen skilled at making?
(b) Harappan craftsmen were skilled at making bronze objects and beads from semi-precious stones of various colors.
Answer the following questions in brief.
(a) What are some of the well-known characteristics of Harappan cities?
(a) Some well-known characteristics of Harappan cities include systematic town planning with houses built in blocks, parallel roads crossing each other at right angles, spacious houses, granaries, a covered drainage system, bathrooms, latrines, and carefully constructed private and public wells. The cities were also divided into multiple parts, each with separate fortifications.
(b) What made the soil on the banks of the Nile fertile?
(b) The soil on the banks of the Nile became fertile due to annual flooding, which deposited nutrient-rich silt onto the land. In addition, the ancient Egyptians built small embankments on the river to store floodwater, which settled the soil at the bottom and was later used for irrigation, further enhancing the fertility of the soil.