(i) is correct
(ii) is correct
(iii) is correct
(iv) incorrect

(a) correct
(b) correct
(c) incorrect
(d) incorrect

b. The cuneiform inscriptions relate to the epic of Gilgamesh.

(i) The greatest of the Han emperors Wu Ti (Han Wu the Great, 141 to 87 BCE) sent Zhang Qian as emissary to the West in 138 BCE.
(ii) It paved the way for the opening of the Silk Road in 130 BCE to encourage trade activities.
(iii) Because of the Silk Road and the resultant trade connections, China benefitted immensely during the rule of Emperor Zhang.

As one of the oldest civilisations, the Egyptian civilisation is known for its monumental architecture, art, sciences and crafts at a very early age.

(i) The Great Wall of China, one of the wonders of the world, was a massive effort undertaken for the protection of China from the Mongols.
(ii) In 220 BCE, under Qin Shi Huang, earlier fortifications were connected by walls as a form of defence against invasions.
(iii) It was built from third century BCE until 17th century CE.
(iv) It ran for over 20,000 kilometres covering the hills and plains, from the border of Korea in the east to the Ordos Desert in the west.

1. The Ziggurats were at the city centre on a platform and appeared like steep pyramids, with staircases leading to the top.
2. Around this temple were complexes of ceremonial courtyards, shrines, burial chambers for the priests and priestesses, ceremonial banquet halls, along with workshops, granaries storehouses and administrative buildings.

1. The Numerous sculpture, paintings and carvings attest to the artistic skills of Egyptians.
2. Their writing is also a form of art.
3. Giza pyramids are considered to be one of the wonders of the world.
4. These monuments display the engineering, architectural and human resource management skills of the Egyptians.

(i) The similarity of the graffiti found on the megalithic burial pots of South India with the Indus script and the identical place names of Tamil Nadu and Indus region of Pakistan are presented as arguments to establish the relationship between the Indus civilisation and Tamil culture
(ii) Researchers like Father Henry Heras, Asko Parpola and Iravatham Mahadevan find similarity between the Indus script and the Dravidian Tamil language.
(iii)  Archaeological evidence points out that several groups of people have been living in Tamil Nadu and South India continuously from the Mesolithic period.
(iv) A few groups from the Indus region might have migrated into southern India.
(v) Some of the ideas and technologies of the Indus civilisations had reached South India in the Iron Age.
(vi) The carnelian beads, shell bangles and bronze mirrors found in the Megalithic/Early Historic sites of Tami Nadu were first introduced by the people of the Indus civilisation, More research is needed to arrive at any definite conclusion in this matter.
(vii) The towns of ancient Tamilagam such as Arikkamedu, Uraiyur and Keezhadi that flourished are part of the second urbanisation of India and these towns are much different from the Indus cities. These towns emerged approximately 1,200 years after the decline of the Indus civilisation.

1. The writing of Egyptians were called hieroglyphic.
2. This form of writing used a pictogram based system.
3. Hieroglyphic was used in inscriptions on seals and other objects.
4. Many texts and books were written using this script.
5. The Egyptian writing system was deciphered by the French scholar Franco is Champollion cuneiform.
6. Cuneiform is the Sumerian writing system.
7. The shape of the letter is in the form of wedge and hence it is called cuneiform
8. It is one of the earliest scripts of the world.
9. The epic of Gilgamesh was written in this script.
10 The Sumerians used this script for commercial transactions and writing letters and stories.
11. The clay tablets contain loads of information on the Sumerian civilisation.

(i) The Harappan civilisation.
(ii) The Harappans used baked and unbaked bricks and stones for construction.
(iii) The Harappans used painted potteries. Their potteries have a deep red slip and black paintings.
(iv) The Indus people buried the dead. Burials were done elaborately.

1. The pyramids are massive monuments built by Egyptians as tombs of mourning to the Pharaohs. The Great Pyramids near Cairo are known as the Gizza Pyramids.
2. (a) The Egyptians had the tradition of preserving the dead bodies using Natron salt, a combination of sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate.
(b) The preservation process is called mummification.
(c) After 40 days when the salt absorbed all the moisture, the body was filled with sawdust and wrapped in strips of linen clothes and covered with fabric. The body was stored in a stone coffin called sarcophagus.
3. (a) The Egyptians believed in life after death.
(b) Egyptian practiced polytheism. They worshipped many Gods.
4. The Great sphinx of Giza is a massive limestone image of a lion with a human head. It is dated to the time of Pharaoh Khafre. It is one of the largest sculptures of the world and measures seventy three metres in length and twenty metres in height.

1. (a) Civilisation is seen as an advanced, organised way of life.
(b) It instilled it way of life that could be considered as an adaptation to particular environmental and cultural contents.
2. The Egyptian, Mesopotamian, the Chinese and the Indus were the important Civilisations.
3. The surplus food production by the farmers in the fertile regions supported the livelihood of a large number of people.
4. As civilizations began to take shape, huge buildings were built, the art of writing developed and science and technology contributed to the betterment of society.