The correct option is (c).
Explanation
Mehrgarh, located in the Kachi Plain of Balochistan (modern-day Pakistan), is one of the earliest and most significant Neolithic sites in the Indian subcontinent. Dating back to approximately 7000 BCE, it provides crucial evidence regarding the transition from hunting and gathering to settled agriculture and animal domestication.
Statement-wise Analysis:
- Statement 1 is Incorrect: The houses found at Mehrgarh were not circular. Excavations indicate that the structures were typically square or rectangular in shape. Circular huts or pit dwellings are characteristic of other Neolithic sites, such as Burzahom in Kashmir, but not Mehrgarh.
- Statement 2 is Correct: The houses at Mehrgarh were constructed using mud bricks. A distinctive feature of these structures is that they were subdivided into four or more internal compartments.
- Statement 3 is Correct: Archaeologists infer that some of these compartments were used for storage (likely for grains), supporting the evidence of agricultural surplus and settled life at the site.
Key Takeaway:
Mehrgarh is characterized by square or rectangular mud-brick houses with multiple compartments used for living and storage, distinguishing it from the circular pit-dwellings found in the Northern Neolithic sites of Kashmir.