Harappan archaeology

Archaeological interpretation requires reading imagery and inscriptions together rather than treating either feature in isolation. A repeated animal motif may reflect a shared symbolic or artistic convention, whereas varying signs could distinguish individuals, groups, offices, or transactions. Therefore, option A is the most cautious and plausible conclusion. The evidence cannot establish that every seal belonged to one person or that the signs were meaningless.

Changes between construction phases reveal how urban services were reorganised over time. Connecting a household installation to a public drain indicates that domestic water management became linked with a wider civic system, perhaps through planned expansion or improved regulation. Option A is therefore correct. The connection does not show that the house became a temple, that the earlier drain was useless, or that water use ended.

Standardisation can concern a ratio rather than one fixed absolute measurement. If bricks repeatedly follow the same proportional relationship while their length, width, or thickness varies, builders probably shared a technical convention but adapted dimensions to local construction needs. Option A is correct. This pattern does not prove one kiln, eliminate standardisation, or establish that smaller bricks were older.