RAS question
The bronze 'Dancing Girl' statue was found at:
Correct answer: (D) Mohenjo-daro.
The bronze Dancing Girl statue was found at Mohenjo-daro, a Harappan town in present-day Sindh, Pakistan.
Explanation
The bronze Dancing Girl is linked to Mohenjo-daro, not to the other Indus Valley sites listed in the options. The National Museum transcript identifies its provenance as the Harappan Civilisation, HR area of Mohenjo-daro, and says the statuette was found in 1926 in the Harappan town of Mohenjo-daro. It dates to around 2500 BCE and was made by the lost-wax, or cire perdue, technique. Its young female figure, bangles on the left arm and dancing posture make it a standard example used to show the sophistication of Indus Valley bronze casting and metallurgy.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Chanhudaro is associated with an inkpot and bead-making, whereas the National Museum transcript places the bronze Dancing Girl at Mohenjo-daro.
- (B) Harappa is linked with the stone male torso, not with the bronze Dancing Girl found at Mohenjo-daro.
- (C) Dholavira is associated with the signboard, while the Dancing Girl’s provenance is Mohenjo-daro.
Concept
This tests Indus Valley Civilisation site-artifact matching, especially famous finds used to identify urban centres. It recurs in RAS because one object can test archaeology, craft technology and the location of major Harappan sites together.