Correct Option
The correct option is (d).
Explanation
Mehrgarh, located in the Kachi Plain of Balochistan (Pakistan) near the Bolan Pass, is one of the most important Neolithic sites in the Indian subcontinent. It provides the earliest evidence of the transition from hunting and gathering to settled agriculture and animal domestication in the region, dating back to approximately 7000 BCE.
Statement-wise Analysis:
- Statement 1 is Correct: Mehrgarh is recognized as one of the earliest known village settlements in the Indian subcontinent. It represents the beginning of a settled life where people built mud-brick houses and practiced agriculture (growing wheat and barley).
- Statement 2 is Correct: Archaeological excavations at Mehrgarh reveal distinct layers (stratigraphy) of animal bones. In the earliest levels, bones of wild animals such as deer and pig were found. In later levels, bones of sheep and goats became more frequent. In the most recent levels of the Neolithic phase, cattle bones became the most common, indicating that cattle rearing had become the primary source of animal husbandry.
- Statement 3 is Correct: Several burial sites have been discovered at Mehrgarh. The dead were often buried with grave goods, such as ornaments, baskets, and animals. For instance, one distinct burial contained a skeleton buried with goats, which suggests a belief that these items would serve the deceased in the afterlife.
Key Takeaway:
Mehrgarh is the classic site for understanding the Neolithic Revolution in South Asia, characterized by the emergence of the earliest farming communities, the domestication of cattle, and the development of complex burial rituals indicating belief in an afterlife.