Question 8: Discuss how archaeologists reconstruct the past.
Answer:
Archaeologists excavate the sites of the ancient past related to culture or civilization. They find art and crafts such as seal, material, remains of houses, buildings, pots, ornaments, tools, coins, weights, measurements and toys, etc. Skulls, bones, jaws, teeth of the dead bodies and materials kept with these dead bodies are also helpful for archaeologists. With the help of the botanists, and zoologists, archaeologists study the plants and animal bones found at different places.
Archaeologists try to find out the tools used in the process of cultivation and harvesting. They also try to find traces of wells, canals, tanks, etc. as they serve as means of irrigation. Different layers of sites are observed to find out different things. These things give the picture of socio-economic condition such as religious life and the cultural life of the people.
Tools, unfinished products, waste materials, help in identifying the centres of craft production. Indirect evidence also helps the archaeologists in reconstructing the past. Archaeologists develop frames of references, It can be better understood by this fact that the first Harappan seal that was found could not be understood till archaeologists had a context in which to place it-both in terms of cultural sequence in which it was found and in terms of a comparison with finds in Mesopotamia. Examination of seals help in constructing the concept of religious belief of the period. Seals depict religious scenes. Some animals such as the one-horned animal, often called the unicorn depicted on the seals appear mythical, composite creatures. In some seals, a figure has been shown sitting crossed legs in a yogic posture. All these represent the religious concept of the period.
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