The prevalence of grain in Harappan sites indicated that

The prevalence of various grains at Harappan sites serves as primary evidence that agriculture was a fundamental part of their subsistence economy. Archaeobotanical finds of charred grains, including wheat, barley, lentils, chickpeas, and sesame, confirm that the Harappans cultivated a wide range of crops [2]. While specific techniques like the use of the plough are supported by terracotta models found at Banawali and furrow marks discovered at Kalibangan, the most direct inference from the widespread presence of grain itself is the general prevalence of agricultural activity [2]. These finds allow archaeobotanists to reconstruct dietary practices and understand the man-plant relationship in the Indus Valley [1]. Although trade in surplus grain likely occurred, the primary archaeological significance of finding grain across multiple sites is the confirmation of established agricultural systems [4].

Sources

1. [1] THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART I, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 1: Bricks, Beads and Bones > 2.1 Agricultural technologies > p. 3
2. [2] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 1: Early India: From the Beginnings to the Indus Civilisation > Subsistence and Economic Production > p. 11
3. [4] https://courseware.cutm.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/e-material-on-Agricultural-Heritage-pdf.pdf