PUNJABI HISTORY Reading archaeological evidence Learner worksheet A guided lesson comparing excavation sequences, scientific dating, hymns and surviving manuscripts in the histories of early Punjab. Suggested group: Older secondary learners, college groups and adult reading circles Session: approximately 55 minutes Goal: Explain what a piece of evidence dates or describes, and keep a wider historical interpretation separate from that observation. Preparation: Print one worksheet for each learner or pair. Choose two of the readings for a shorter session. No knowledge of Sanskrit or archaeological terminology is assumed; begin with the article headings and source notes. READINGS Mehrgarh and Punjab: connections without a simple origin story https://punjabihistory.com/history/mehrgarh-and-connections-with-punjab/ Article ID: PH-HIS-0003 Late Harappan settlements in Punjab: local change after urbanism https://punjabihistory.com/history/late-harappan-settlements-in-punjab/ Article ID: PH-HIS-0010 The Rigveda as a source for Punjab’s regional history https://punjabihistory.com/history/the-rigveda-as-a-source-for-regional-history/ Article ID: PH-HIS-0011 Painted Grey Ware in the wider Punjab region https://punjabihistory.com/history/painted-grey-ware-in-the-wider-punjab-region/ Article ID: PH-HIS-0014 ACTIVITIES 1. What exactly is being dated? (15 minutes) Read the Mehrgarh chronology section and the Rigveda manuscript section. Make a two-column table: material or text being discussed; what the stated date applies to. Add the source ID and locator beside each entry. Write one sentence explaining why the two dates cannot simply be put on a timeline as the same kind of event. Find the evidence: Mehrgarh and Punjab: connections without a simple origin story — A major revision proposed in 2025 https://punjabihistory.com/history/mehrgarh-and-connections-with-punjab/#chronology The Rigveda as a source for Punjab’s regional history — The age of a manuscript is a separate question https://punjabihistory.com/history/the-rigveda-as-a-source-for-regional-history/#manuscripts Notes and source locators: ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 2. Read a sequence without filling its gaps (15 minutes) Read the Painted Grey Ware article. Draw two simple layer diagrams using the named examples in the text: one for an overlap and one for a break. Label the location and source. Under each diagram, write one question that the short source account cannot answer. Find the evidence: Painted Grey Ware in the wider Punjab region — Two local sequences near Phillaur https://punjabihistory.com/history/painted-grey-ware-in-the-wider-punjab-region/#sites Painted Grey Ware in the wider Punjab region — An overlap and a gap tell different stories https://punjabihistory.com/history/painted-grey-ware-in-the-wider-punjab-region/#layers Notes and source locators: ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 3. Write a claim that can be checked (15 minutes) Choose one paragraph from the Late Harappan article. Reduce it to one claim and one qualification, keeping its source link. Exchange your version with a partner. Ask them to identify which part the evidence directly supports and what additional evidence a broader explanation would need. Find the evidence: Late Harappan settlements in Punjab: local change after urbanism — Why more mapped sites need careful interpretation https://punjabihistory.com/history/late-harappan-settlements-in-punjab/#landscape Notes and source locators: ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ REFLECTION Which distinction changed your interpretation most: object and context, composition and copy, or observation and explanation? Give one cited example. EXTENSION Return to the original source behind one paragraph. Record its creator, publication date if known, exact locator, and one access limit. Explain whether reading the source changes your first summary. This is an English guided-reading resource. Timing is a suggestion; adapt the reading load. Article citations and limitations remain part of the activity. This pack does not certify attainment or imply external curriculum approval.