From Hunting Gathering to Growing Food Class 6 History Chapter 2 Notes are available here. These notes has been created by the subject experts of our website CBSE Wale.
From Hunting Gathering to Growing Food Class 6 History Chapter 2 Notes
The earliest people: why were they on the move?
- Early humans in the subcontinent, known as hunter-gatherers, lived around two million years ago.
- Hunter-gatherers obtained food by hunting wild animals, fishing, gathering fruits, roots, nuts, seeds, leaves, and eggs.
- They moved frequently for several reasons:
- To avoid depleting local plant and animal resources.
- To follow the movements of animals they hunted, such as deer and wild cattle.
- To access different types of plants that bear fruit in different seasons.
- To find water sources, especially during dry seasons, as some rivers and lakes were seasonal.
How do we know about these people?
- Archaeological evidence reveals tools made and used by hunter-gatherers, primarily composed of stone, wood, and bone.
- Stone tools are the most prevalent archaeological finds.
- Stone tools served various purposes:
- Cutting meat and bone.
- Scraping bark and hides.
- Chopping fruit and roots.
- Some stone tools were likely affixed to bone or wood handles to create hunting weapons like spears and arrows.
- Other tools were utilized for chopping wood, which served as firewood and material for constructing huts and additional tools.
Choosing a place to live in
- Not all hunter-gatherer sites are depicted; only a selection is shown.
- Many sites were situated close to water sources like rivers and lakes, indicating the importance of water for survival.
- Accessibility to high-quality stone was crucial, as stone tools were integral to daily life and activities.
- Settlements were often chosen based on the availability of suitable stone resources.
Rock paintings and what they tell us
- Rock paintings provide valuable insights into ancient cultures and societies.
- They serve as a visual record of prehistoric life, depicting activities, rituals, and beliefs.
- These paintings offer information about the daily lives, hunting practices, spiritual beliefs, and social structures of early humans.
- They often depict animals, humans, symbols, and scenes that were significant to the people who created them.
- Rock paintings help archaeologists and historians understand the cultural, artistic, and technological achievements of past civilizations.
- They provide evidence of human creativity, expression, and connection to the natural world.
Finding out about fire
- Discovery of ash traces indicates ancient humans were knowledgeable about fire usage.
- Fire served various purposes:
- Illumination: Used as a source of light in darkness.
- Cooking: Employed for roasting meat, potentially for food preparation.
- Defense: Possibly utilized to deter or scare away animals.
Names and dates
- The earliest period studied by archaeologists is called the Palaeolithic, derived from Greek words meaning “old stone,” emphasizing the significance of stone tools. It spans from 2 million years ago to about 12,000 years ago and is divided into Lower, Middle, and Upper Palaeolithic.
- The period following the Palaeolithic, characterized by environmental changes, is called the Mesolithic (middle stone), lasting from about 12,000 years ago to about 10,000 years ago. Tools from this era, called microliths, were likely attached to bone or wood handles to create implements like saws and sickles.
- The subsequent period, starting around 10,000 years ago, is known as the Neolithic. The term “Neolithic” suggests “new stone age.“
- Present-day names of locations are often used to refer to ancient settlements since their original names are often unknown.
A changing environment
- Approximately 12,000 years ago, global climate underwent significant changes, transitioning to warmer conditions.
- The shift resulted in the expansion of grasslands in many regions.
- The proliferation of grasslands contributed to a rise in populations of animals like deer, antelope, goats, sheep, and cattle, which primarily fed on grass.
- Hunter-gatherers adapted by following these animals, gaining insights into their behaviors, food sources, and breeding patterns.
- This understanding likely prompted early humans to consider herding and domesticating these animals themselves.
- Fishing also became a crucial activity during this period.
The beginning of farming and herding
- Various grain-bearing grasses like wheat, barley, and rice naturally grew in different parts of the subcontinent.
- Early humans likely gathered these grains for food, learning about their growth and ripening cycles.
- This knowledge may have sparked the idea of cultivating plants, leading to the transition to agriculture.
- Early humans also began domesticating animals by leaving food near their shelters to attract and tame them.
- The first domesticated animal was the wild ancestor of the dog.
- Later, humans selectively bred and encouraged relatively gentle animals like sheep, goats, cattle, and pigs to live near their camps.
- These animals formed herds and were primarily grass-eaters.
- Humans protected these animals from wild predators, leading to the emergence of herding practices.
Domestication
- Domestication involves the cultivation of plants and the rearing of animals by humans.
- Domesticated plants and animals often differ from their wild counterparts due to selective breeding.
- Humans choose plants and animals based on desirable traits, such as disease resistance, high yield, and strong stalks.
- Selected plant seeds are preserved and replanted to maintain desired qualities.
- Gentler animals are chosen for breeding, leading to gradual changes in domesticated species compared to their wild counterparts.
- Domestication began around 12,000 years ago and occurred worldwide.
- Virtually all food-producing plants and animals used today are products of domestication.
- Some of the earliest domesticated plants include wheat and barley, while sheep and goats were among the earliest domesticated animals.
A new way of life
- Agriculture required people to remain in one place for extended periods to tend to growing plants.
- Activities involved in plant cultivation included watering, weeding, and protecting crops from animals and birds until they ripened.
- Once grains ripened, they had to be carefully harvested and stored for both food and seed purposes.
- To store grain, people devised various methods such as making large clay pots, weaving baskets, or digging pits into the ground.
Rearing animals
- Animals naturally reproduce, contributing to their population growth.
- Carefully tended animals offer valuable resources such as milk and meat.
- Domesticated animals serve as a reliable source of food and can be considered a food reserve.
Finding out about the first farmers and herders
- Archaeological evidence from various sites across the subcontinent indicates the presence of early farmers and herders.
- Notable concentrations of these sites are found in the north-west (present-day Kashmir) and in eastern and southern India.
- Scientists determine whether these sites were settlements of farmers and herders by studying evidence such as plant remains and animal bones.
- Exciting discoveries include burnt grain remains, which suggest intentional or accidental burning.
- Scientists can identify these grains, revealing the cultivation of multiple crops across different regions of the subcontinent.
- Analysis of animal bones allows scientists to identify the types of animals present at these sites.
Towards a settled life
- Archaeological evidence reveals traces of huts or houses at various sites, such as pit-houses in Burzahom (present-day Kashmir), suggesting settled living arrangements.
- Cooking hearths found both inside and outside these dwellings indicate flexibility in cooking locations based on weather conditions.
- Stone tools discovered at these sites, known as Neolithic tools, differ from earlier Palaeolithic tools and include polished tools for cutting and mortars and pestles for grinding grain.
- Earthen pots, some decorated, were used for storing items and cooking food, particularly grains like rice, wheat, and lentils.
- Weaving cloth became prevalent using materials like cotton, which could now be cultivated.
- Transition to settled life varied across regions and occurred gradually over several thousand years. In some areas, hunting and gathering persisted alongside farming and herding, with some individuals combining different activities based on seasons.
A closer look — Living and dying in Mehrgarh
- Mehrgarh, situated near the Bolan Pass, was likely one of the first places where people cultivated barley and wheat and raised sheep and goats in the region.
- It is one of the earliest known villages, indicating early settlement and agricultural practices.
- Archaeological excavations at Mehrgarh unearthed various animal bones, including wild animals like deer and pigs, as well as domesticated sheep and goats.
- Discoveries also include remains of square or rectangular houses with multiple compartments, possibly used for storage purposes.
- Burial sites at Mehrgarh reveal cultural practices surrounding death, suggesting beliefs in an afterlife.
- One burial instance involved burying the deceased with goats, likely intended as provisions for the afterlife.