UPSC Prelims 2021 Q37: Burzahom, Chandraketugarh, Ganeshwar Explained
Consider the following pairs:
(Historical place : Well-known for)
1. Burzahom : Rock-cut shrines
2. Chandraketugarh : Terracotta art
3. Ganeshwar : Copper artefacts
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
- 1 only
- 1 and 2
- 3 only
- 2 and 3
Answer: (d) 2 and 3
Statement-wise explanation
- 1: incorrect — Burzahom, about 10 km north-east of Srinagar in the Kashmir valley, is a Neolithic settlement. It is known for pit dwellings dug into the ground, ground stone axes, bone tools and grey burnished pottery. It is also known for unusual burials: UNESCO's Tentative List entry describes a burial of five wild dogs with antler horn, and a stone slab engraved with a hunting scene. Rock-cut shrines belong to a much later age, as at Ajanta and Ellora, so this pair is wrongly matched.
- 2: correct — Chandraketugarh, in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, is an early historic urban site. Its terracotta relief plaques are among the finest of the 2nd–1st century BCE and are often compared with those of Mathura, Ahichhatra, Kaushambi and Tamluk. The plaques are made from moulds and show goddesses, yakshas, royal women and scenes of daily life. Calcutta University excavated the site between 1956-57 and 1966-67, according to ASI records.
- 3: correct — Ganeshwar lies in Sikar district, Rajasthan, about 10–15 km from the Khetri copper mines in the Aravallis. It gives its name to the Chalcolithic Ganeshwar-Jodhpura culture. The site has yielded a large number of copper objects, including arrowheads, spearheads, fish hooks, celts, bangles and chisels. Being so close to copper ore, it is linked with the copper supply of the Harappan world.
How to eliminate
Option logic helps a lot here. Pair 1 is the easiest to judge. Burzahom is a classic Neolithic site, famous for pit dwellings and dog burials, and Neolithic people did not cut shrines into rock. Rock-cut architecture starts with the Mauryan Barabar caves and peaks at Ajanta and Ellora. Once you reject pair 1, options a and b drop out, and only '3 only' and '2 and 3' remain. Next, recall that Ganeshwar is near the Khetri copper belt; its name is tied to copper in every NCERT-level account of Harappan raw materials. That confirms pair 3 but still leaves both options open. To choose between them you need one fact: Chandraketugarh, near Kolkata, is known for its terracotta plaques. Remember the three sites by period: Burzahom is Neolithic (pits and dogs), Ganeshwar is Chalcolithic (copper), and Chandraketugarh is early historic (terracotta).
Know more
One site, one signature. UNESCO asks site-to-feature pairs that cover the whole sequence from the Stone Age to early history. The trap is usually a real feature placed against a site from the wrong period.
| Site | State/UT | Period | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burzahom | J&K (near Srinagar) | Neolithic, c. 3000–1000 BCE | Pit dwellings, dog burials, engraved hunting-scene slab, bone tools |
| Gufkral | J&K | Neolithic | Pit dwellings (Kashmir Neolithic) |
| Mahagara | UP (Belan valley) | Neolithic | Early rice, cattle pen |
| Ganeshwar | Rajasthan (Sikar) | Chalcolithic, c. 2500–2000 BCE | Copper arrowheads, fish hooks, celts near Khetri mines |
| Ahar | Rajasthan (Udaipur) | Chalcolithic | Copper smelting, black-and-red ware |
| Chandraketugarh | West Bengal (N. 24 Parganas) | c. 600 BCE–1250 CE | Mould-made terracotta plaques |
Burzahom. The ASI excavated the site from 1960 to 1971, under T.N. Khazanchi. Work found a sequence that runs from Neolithic pit dwellings to mud and mud-brick houses and then a megalithic phase. Finds suggest contacts with Central Asia and with the Gangetic plains. The site has been on India's UNESCO Tentative List since 2014.
Ganeshwar. The site sits within easy reach of the Khetri copper belt, the region NCERT names as a Harappan source of copper. The Ganeshwar-Jodhpura culture had its own non-Harappan pottery and an unusual wealth of copper objects.
Chandraketugarh. This was a river-port town in the lower Ganga delta. It was occupied from pre-Mauryan times through the Shunga, Kushan and Gupta periods. Its terracottas are held in museums worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Rock-cut shrines. These belong to the historic period: Barabar (Mauryan), Bhaja and Karle (Satavahana era), Ajanta, and Ellora. A prehistoric site matched with rock-cut shrines is almost always a wrong pair.
NCERT Concepts to Revise
- Burzahom: Pair 1 depends on what kind of site Burzahom is and which period it belongs to.
- Ganeshwar-Jodhpura culture: Pair 3 names the eponymous site of this culture; knowing its setting in the Khetri area is key.
- Chalcolithic age: Ganeshwar's artefacts make sense only once you know what defines the Copper-Stone Age.
- Gufkral: Gufkral is Burzahom's Kashmir Neolithic twin; comparing them shows what Kashmir Neolithic sites are actually known for.