📝 Chapter 01 · MCQs · Visual Arts

Rock Art, Seals & Prehistoric Art — Practice MCQs

10 practice questions on Bhimbetka, Harappan seals, terracotta figurines, and megalithic monuments for UPSC & PSC exams.

Q1Bhimbetka rock shelters were discovered by which archaeologist?

✅ Answer: C — V.S. Wakankar discovered Bhimbetka in 1957–58 while travelling by train through Madhya Pradesh.

Q2In which year was Bhimbetka inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site?

✅ Answer: C — Bhimbetka was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003.

Q3Which period of Bhimbetka paintings is considered the most prolific?

✅ Answer: B — The Mesolithic period (Period II, ~10,000–6,000 BCE) produced the most numerous and varied paintings at Bhimbetka.

Q4The most common motif found on Harappan seals is:

✅ Answer: A — The unicorn (single-horned animal) is the most frequently depicted motif on Harappan seals.

Q5The Pashupati Seal was discovered at which IVC site?

✅ Answer: B — The Pashupati Seal was discovered at Mohenjo-daro by John Marshall in 1928.

Q6The Indus script is written in which direction?

✅ Answer: B — The Indus script is generally written from right to left.

Q7The famous Bronze Dancing Girl was found at which site?

✅ Answer: B — The Bronze Dancing Girl was found at Mohenjo-daro and is a masterpiece of lost-wax casting.

Q8Which cave contains the earliest known example of pictorial art combined with a Brahmi script inscription in India?

✅ Answer: C — Jogimara Cave in Chhattisgarh contains the earliest known pictorial art with a Brahmi script inscription (3rd–2nd century BCE).

Q9Which type of pottery is most commonly associated with megalithic burials in South India?

✅ Answer: C — Black-and-Red Ware (BRW) is the distinctive pottery associated with megalithic burials in South India.

Q10The Bankura horse, a famous terracotta tradition, belongs to which state?

✅ Answer: C — The Bankura horse is a famous GI-tagged terracotta tradition from Bankura district, West Bengal, made by Panchmura artisans.