6th Social Science NCERT Chapter 3

Important Topics to Study from the Chapter:

1. The Story of Harappa

– Railway engineers discovered the site of Harappa, one of the oldest cities in the subcontinent; its buildings were rich in high-quality bricks. Archaeologists found this first city about 80 years ago7.

2. The Earliest Cities in the Subcontinent

– Harappan cities were divided into citadel and lower town; unique objects found included red pottery, stone weights, seals, special beads, copper tools, and long stone blades. Special structures like the Great Bath and fire altars were present in different cities7.

3. Houses, Drains, and Streets

– Houses were one or two storeys high with courtyards, bathing areas, and wells for water supply. Cities had covered drains connected to streets and houses, showing pre-planned urban infrastructure7.

4. Life in the City

– People in Harappan cities included rulers, scribes, craftspersons making various items, traders bringing materials from distant lands, and children playing with terracotta toys7.

5. New Crafts in the City

– Harappans made objects from stone, shell, and metal (copper, bronze, gold, silver), including tools, weapons, ornaments, vessels, beads, weights, blades, and more. They also produced pots with black designs, seals, and embroidered cloth7.

6. Faience

– Faience, an artificially produced material, was used to make beads, bangles, earrings, and vessels with a glazed, shiny surface in blue or sea green colors. Specialists likely produced many of these items7.