The famous female figurine known as 'Dancing Girl', found at Mohenjo-daro, is made of

(a) carnelian
(b) clay
(c) bronze ✓ UPSC's answer
(d) gold

Why the answer is (c)

• The 'Dancing Girl', about 10.5 cm tall, was found at Mohenjo-daro in 1926 and is now in the National Museum, New Delhi.

• It is made of bronze by the lost-wax (cire perdue) casting technique, showing that Harappan craftsmen had mastered metallurgy around 2500 BCE.

• The figure stands with a hand on her hip, wearing bangles up one arm and a necklace; the confident pose gave the statuette its name.

• Carnelian was used for Harappan beads, clay for terracotta figurines and gold for jewellery — but not for this piece.

• Hence option (c).

Why the other options are wrong

(a) carnelian: Carnelian was used for beads, not this statuette.
(b) clay: Clay was used for terracotta figures; the Dancing Girl is metal.
(d) gold: Gold was used for ornaments, not for this figure.

Asked in the GS Paper I of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2025, held on 25 May 2025. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.