CBSE Class 6 SST History Ch 3: Ancient Cities

Chapter 3: From Hunting-Gathering to Growing Food

Chapter Summary

• Early humans were primarily hunter-gatherers, meaning they hunted wild animals, fished, and gathered fruits, roots, nuts, seeds, leaves, and eggs.
• They moved from place to place for several reasons: if they had eaten up all the plant and animal resources at one place; to follow animals; to find different fruits/plants in different seasons; and in search of water.
• Hunter-gatherers used various tools made of stone, wood, and bone for purposes like cutting meat, chopping fruits, digging the ground, and making spears and arrows.
• Evidence of the use of fire has been found in the Kurnool caves (present-day Andhra Pradesh), where traces of ash were discovered. Fire could have been used for light, cooking meat, and scaring away animals.
• Around 12,000 years ago, there was a major climatic change in the world, leading to a shift to relatively warmer conditions. This resulted in the development of grasslands, which in turn led to an increase in animals like deer, antelope, goat, and sheep.
• People began to observe these animals and learned about their food habits and breeding seasons. This knowledge eventually helped them to start herding and rearing these animals.
• The period when people began to grow crops and domesticate animals is called the beginning of agriculture. This change was gradual and occurred over thousands of years.
• The first animal to be tamed was the wild ancestor of the dog. Later, people encouraged animals that were relatively gentle to come near their camps, such as sheep, goat, cattle, and pig, and protected them from other wild animals. This process is called domestication.
• Domestication began around 12,000 years ago. The earliest domesticated plants include wheat and barley, and the earliest domesticated animals include sheep and goat.
• As people began to grow crops, they had to stay in the same place for a long time to look after the plants, from sowing to harvesting, and then storing the grains. This led to a sedentary lifestyle.
• Grains needed to be stored for food and as seeds. People started making large clay pots, weaving baskets, or digging pits into the ground for storage.
• The development of agriculture and a settled life led to the Neolithic Age (New Stone Age). Tools became more polished, with fine cutting edges, and mortars and pestles were used for grinding grain.
• Important Neolithic sites include:
  • Mehrgarh (now in Pakistan, near the Bolan Pass): This was one of the earliest villages where people learned to grow barley and wheat, and rear sheep and goats. Houses were square or rectangular with four compartments. Burial sites have been found, with one notable example showing a dead person buried with goats, presumably to serve as food in the next world.
  • Burzahom (present-day Kashmir): Here, people built pit-houses, which were dug into the ground with steps leading into them. They also cooked food both inside and outside their huts.
  • Daojali Hading (on the hills near the Brahmaputra Valley, close to routes leading to China and Myanmar): Here, stone tools including mortars and pestles have been found, indicating grain grinding. Tools made of jadeite have also been found, a stone that may have been brought from China, suggesting trade and cultural exchange.
• The lives of farmers and herders were significantly different from hunter-gatherers, involving settled living, food production, and more complex social structures.

Questions and Answers

1. Why do people who grow crops have to stay in the same place for a long time?

Answer: People who grow crops have to stay in the same place for a long time because:

• They need to sow the seeds.
• They need to water the plants.
• They need to weed the fields (remove unwanted plants).
• They need to protect the crops from animals and birds.
• The grain has to ripen, which takes time.
• After harvesting, the grain needs to be stored safely.
• This entire process, from sowing to harvesting and storage, takes several months, making it necessary for them to live in one place.

2. Look at the table on page 25. If people had to pay taxes to the king/chief for using the products from the forest, how different would their lives be?

Answer: (Note: The actual table is not provided here, but the question asks for a general understanding of the impact of taxes.) If people had to pay taxes to the king/chief for using products from the forest, their lives would be significantly different:

• Economic Burden: They would have less produce or money for themselves, as a portion would go to taxes. This could lead to a poorer quality of life.
• Limited Resources: They might be restricted in how much they could collect from the forest, or might only be allowed to collect certain items, to ensure enough for taxes.
• Dependence: They would become more dependent on the chief or king and would have to follow their rules.
• Conflict: Non-payment of taxes could lead to punishment or conflict with the ruling authority.
• Reduced Freedom: Their freedom to move and utilize forest resources freely would be curtailed.
• Social Hierarchy: It would reinforce a social hierarchy, with the king/chief at the top and the forest-dwellers/farmers as subordinates.

3. Find out about the first cereals grown and animals domesticated in your state/UT.

Answer: (This answer will vary based on the student's specific state/UT in India. A general approach is provided as an example. Students should research their own region.)

• To answer this question accurately, one would need to specify a particular state/UT in India and research its archaeological findings.
• However, broadly across India, early cereals grown included wheat, barley, and rice.
• Early domesticated animals included sheep, goat, and cattle.
• For example, in parts of North India (like Uttar Pradesh/Bihar), early evidence suggests rice cultivation, while in the North-West (like Punjab/Haryana), wheat and barley were more prominent. The domestication of cattle, sheep, and goats was widespread.

4. Make a list of all the animals mentioned in the chapter. What purposes were they used for?

Answer: Animals mentioned in the chapter and their purposes:

• Deer, Antelope, Goat, Sheep: Initially hunted for food (meat). Later, domesticated animals like goat and sheep were reared for milk, meat, wool, and possibly as pack animals.
• Wild ancestor of the dog: First animal to be tamed. Dogs were likely used for hunting assistance and as companions/guards.
• Cattle: Domesticated for milk, meat, and possibly for ploughing fields or pulling carts once agriculture developed further.
• Pig: Domesticated for meat.
• Other wild animals (e.g., bears, big cats): Mentioned as threats from which domesticated animals needed protection.

5. What kinds of tools were used by the hunter-gatherers? And what kinds of tools would you need today for cutting fruit?

Answer:

• Tools used by hunter-gatherers: They used tools made of stone, wood, and bone. These tools included:
  • Stone tools: For cutting meat, chopping fruit, chopping wood, digging the ground for roots, making spears and arrows for hunting. Some tools were used to scrape bark and animal hides.
  • Wooden tools: For handles of spears, digging sticks, and possibly for making shelters.
  • Bone tools: For needles, harpoons, and other sharp implements.
• Tools needed today for cutting fruit: Today, we would mostly use a sharp knife (made of stainless steel or ceramic) and a cutting board for hygiene and safety. For harder fruits, a peeler might also be used.

6. List three ways in which hunter-gatherers used fire (see page 16).

Answer: According to the chapter (page 16), hunter-gatherers used fire in three main ways:

• As a source of light.
• To cook meat.
• To scare away wild animals.

7. List three ways in which the lives of farmers and herders would have been different from that of hunter-gatherers.

Answer: Three ways in which the lives of farmers and herders would have been different from that of hunter-gatherers:

• Settled Life vs. Nomadic Life: Farmers and herders lived a settled life in one place for extended periods to cultivate crops and tend to animals. Hunter-gatherers were nomadic, constantly moving from place to place in search of food.
• Food Producers vs. Food Foragers: Farmers and herders became food producers, growing their own crops (like wheat, barley, rice) and rearing animals for milk and meat. Hunter-gatherers were food foragers, relying entirely on hunting wild animals and gathering wild plants.
• Shelter and Tools: Farmers and herders began building permanent homes (like mud houses, pit-houses) and developing tools specifically for agriculture (e.g., ploughs, mortars, pestles). Hunter-gatherers often used temporary shelters and simpler stone/wood tools primarily for hunting and gathering.