New
New
Year 3

Art in the Indus Valley Civilisation

I can explain what archaeologists have learnt from studying some of the art of the Indus Valley Civilisation.

New
New
Year 3

Art in the Indus Valley Civilisation

I can explain what archaeologists have learnt from studying some of the art of the Indus Valley Civilisation.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The people of the Indus Valley civilisation produced lots of highly decorated objects and art.
  2. The seals that they produced had beautiful pictures of different animals including oxen and even imaginary animals!
  3. These seals often had holes on the back of them and archaeologists think this could have been to hang them on a string.
  4. These people made beautiful jewellery out of carnelian, gold and other precious materials.
  5. Some of this jewellery has been found in Mesopotamia, showing that the Indus people must have traded there.

Keywords

  • Art - art is the creation of things to be beautiful, using lots of skill

  • Skill - being able to do something very well from training or practice is called skill

  • Precious - when something is of great worth or value it is said to be precious

  • Carnelian - carnelian is a brownish-red mineral that is often used to make jewellery

Common misconception

Art from the Indus Valley civilisation has only been found in the Indus Valley.

Art from the Indus Valley civilisation has been found in places like Mesopotamia, showing us that the Indus Valley people probably travelled there and traded with the Ancient Mesopotamians.

Pupils could use beads similar to carnelian, gold and other precious stones to make their own jewellery similar to the Indus Valley examples.
Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
When did the people of the Indus Valley start farming?
around 1000 years ago
around 5000 years ago
Correct answer: around 8000 years ago
Q2.
Someone who buys and sells things is called a...
Correct Answer: merchant
Q3.
The streets in the cities were wide enough for two to pass each other.
chickens
pigs
Correct answer: elephants
Q4.
What did the people of the Indus Valley build to get fresh water into their cities?
toilets
drains
Correct answer: wells
Q5.
What did the people of the Indus Valley build to take away dirty water?
streets
wells
walls
Correct answer: drains
Q6.
Select the two materials that the Indus Valley people used to make clay bricks.
sand
rocks
Correct answer: clay
Correct answer: mud

6 Questions

Q1.
Which items did the people of the Indus Valley decorate?
Correct answer: clay seals
Correct answer: plates
Correct answer: cups
Correct answer: beads
Q2.
Some of the animals carved onto clay seals were imaginary.
Correct answer: True
False
Q3.
Being able to do something very well from training or practice is called...
Correct Answer: skill, skills, skil, skilled
Q4.
Select all the items made from gold that have been found in the Indus Valley.
Correct answer: buttons
Correct answer: jewellery
statues
Q5.
Carnelian beads from the Indus Valley were found near…
London
Correct answer: Babylon
Cairo
Q6.
The Indus Valley people made jewellery from precious metals and precious…
sand
clay
Correct answer: stones

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