VELAMMAL BODHI CAMPUS-THENI

Class: VI Sub: SST

His: Ln-2. The Earliest Societies
Mind map

The
Earliest
Societies

Running notes
Homo sapiens
 Homo sapiens appeared on Earth about 200,000 years ago.
 They were hunter gatherers.
 Prehistoric humans were cave dwellers.
 They wore animal hides to protect themselves from extreme cold.
 They also used tools made of bones, stones, and sticks
The Stone Age:
 Humans beings evolved gradually from ape-like creatures to upright
modern humans.
  This freed their hands and resulted in the evolution of the thumb.
 Their brain size also developed.
 They realised that broken stones could be used for different purposes
Division of Stone Age
 The Palaeolithic Age or Old Stone Age.
 The Mesolithic Age or the Middle Stone Age.
 The Neolithic Age or the New Stone Age
Palaeolithic or Old Stone Age
 Approximately from 500,000 BCE to 10,000 BCE.
 During this period, human beings lived a nomadic life.
 They were not food producers
Palaeolithic Age subdivided in to three
i) Early Palaeolithic Age
ii) Middle Palaeolithic Age
iii) Upper Palaeolithic Age.
Early palaeolithic age;
 The first stone tools appeared
 The tools used where axes and chopping tools hand
 Climate was extremely cold
 This age is also known as the Ice Age.
Middle Palaeolithic age:
 People largely used Flake tools.
 Some home implements such as needles have been found.
 People begin to form and live in groups.
 Community life that started at this time was burial of the dead.
 Middle Palaeolithic sites have been found on the banks of river Luni in
Rajasthan and Narmada Valley.
The upper paleolithic age:
 The last phase of the Ice Age when the climate became warmer people
became to make necklaces and bracelets of material like shells and bones.
 In India this upper paleolithic site has been found in Bimbetka in Madhya
Pradesh.
Palaeolithic people and Need for Tools
 The primary means of survival of the people was hunting animals and
gathering plants for food.
 They began to shape stones into crude knives.
 Pre historic people used stone tools for a variety of purposes.
Types of stone tools
Core tools
* Almost the size of a human hand and were used for throwing and
pounding
Flake tools - used for scraping
Blade tools
* Twice in length as their breadth and gradual evolved into knives, spears
and arrowheads
* A hand axe is a prehistoric stone tool with two faces that is the longest-
used tool in human history used for cutting
Early stone tools
Chopper
* It was made by sharpening the thinner edge of the stone.
* It was used for chopping meat
Scraper
* It was used clean or scrape the skin of animals
Arrow head
* It was used to kill running animals
Blades
* These were small stone tools made by flaking. They had two parallel
cutting edges
Discovery of Fire
 The most important feature of the Palaeolithic Age was the discovery of
fire.
 It was the turning point of for human kind.
Fire had the following advantages:
 It could keep people warm and light.
 It helped humans to cook food.
 It was used to scare away wild animals.
Mesolithic Age
 The Mesolithic Age dates from around 10,000 BCE to 8,000 BCE.
 People continued to live by hunting and gathering.
 There was greater emphasis on small animals and plant food.
 The dog became the first pet of human mainly.
 In this age people used small and efficient tools called microliths.
CASE STUDY: NEVASA AND KURNOOL
 Archaeologists have discovered evidence that early humans wandered
through Maharashtra.
 They led a nomadic existence and lived on wild grasses, fruit and plants.
 Several limestone caves in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh reveal
remains of our ancestors.
 Blade tools and microliths including arrowheads spearheads and scrapers
have been found here.
Neolithic Age:
 The Neolithic Age stretched from 8,000 BCE to about 3,000 BCE.
 Human life progressed and changed significantly as people settled down at
one place.
Beginning of Farming
 Several varieties of grain bearing grasses, including wheat, barley and rice
grew naturally.
 They grew into new plants and produced many more seeds.
 This marked the beginning of what we call the Neolithic Age.
 People became food producers or farmers in the New Stone Age.
Domestication of Plants and Animals
 Climatic changes encouraged the growth of grasslands and led to an
increase in the number of herd animals such as sheep, cattle.
 Gradually, people who hunted these animals started following them and
discovered the behaviour and habits.
Leading a settled life
 The beginning of agriculture affected human life in many ways.
 One people started cultivation, they settled down in one place.
Houses
 The houses that the Neolithic people built were made of mud, straw and
reed.
 In some places lived in dwelling pits.
 Many families began to live together for mutual cooperation and better
protection.
Invention of the Wheel
 The invention of the wheel was very important achievement of the
Neolithic people.
 Early humans must have observed that a block was difficult to move than a
cylindrical one.
  The wheel was then put to use for making pottery. Later, people made the
spinning wheel to spin thread.
Pottery
 As people began to grow grains, they needed utensils to store their plant
produce.
 Around this time, Neolithic people, perhaps accidentally discovered that if
they baked clay in fire.
 Baked pottery was useful for storing liquids and cooking.
Tools:
 Stone tools have been found at many early farming sites but they are
slightly different from the earlier Palaeolithic tools.
 Neolithic tools were used for other purposes. Stone axes, sickle and
ploughs were particularly used at this time.
Social Practices and Religious Beliefs
 Neolithic people lived in social groups called tribes.
 Groups of families usually related to each other and living together.
 Early people death was myths and beliefs.
CASE STUDY: THE NORTH-WEST AND NORTH-EAST
 In northern and north western parts of India, several Neolithic sites have
been excavated.
 Archaeologists have also found the remains of Neolithic villages at in
Karnataka.
The Earliest Farming Community:
 Archaeologists have found remains of burnt grains and concluded number
of crops.
 Archaeologists have also found the remains of square or rectangular mud
houses.
Burzahom:
 This site lies near Srinagar in Kashmir.
 Birch a type of tree was readily available even during Neolithic times.
 A great variety of stone tools, clay pottery and dwelling pits have been
excavated.
North East Daojali Hading:
 Neolithic sites in Assam and north east India are usually located on hills or
elevated land, because of floods.
 Two features distinguish the site found at Burzhom
 There is a complete absence of microliths or small and sharp stone tools.
  Dogs were buried along with their masters.
Book Back Exercise
I. Tick the correct option
1. The Palaeolithic Age is also called the
c. Old Stone Age
2. The first human shelters were the characteristics of the
c. Upper Palaeolithic Age
3. The early humans used fire to a. Cook food and keep warm
4. The first animal to be domesticated was b. dog
5. Which of the following statement is true for Mesolithic Age?
c. none of a and b
6. Microliths were b. small, sharper and more efficient tools.
7. Dwelling pits are found in c. Burzahom
8. Example of stone age art in India have been found a. Bhimbetka
9. The Wheel was invented in the c. Neolithic period
10. The Early Humans started using baked pottery in the d. Neolithic Age
II. State whether the following statements are true or false and rewrite the
incorrect statements to correct them.
1. Tools of crude stones were used for agriculture in the Neolithic Age.
FALSE. Stone axes, sickles, and ploughs were used for agriculture in the
Neolithic Age.
2. Mesolithic Age means Modern Stone Age. TRUE
3. The earliest evidence of wheel has been found in Mesopotamia.
TRUE
4. People in Burzahom lived in rectangular houses. FALSE. People in Burzahom
lived indwelling pits dug into the soil below ground level.
5. Modern humans are known as Homo erectus. True
IV. Answer the following questions in brief.
1. Write a note on the Early Palaeolithic Age.
* The Early Palaeolithic Age corresponds to the time when the first stone
tools appeared.
The tools used were hand axes and chopping tools. At that time, the climate was
extremely cold and many parts of the Earth were covered in ice. This is why this
age is also known as the Ice Age.
2. How and where was fire discovered?
* The most important feature of the Palaeolithic Age and the first major
discovery of early humans was the discovery of fire. It was a turning point for
humankind. Archaeologists believe that fire was probably produced by rubbing
two stones against each other
3. What is the importance of discovery of agriculture in history?
* Agriculture began during the Neolithic Age. People began to cultivate
crops, especially cereals, and tame and breed animals to serve their needs. Two
very important features of this age were the invention of the wheel and pottery
4. Invention of the wheel was an important achievement. Explain
* The invention of the wheel was a very important achievement of
humankind. The wheel made transportation and carrying people and goods very
simple. Soon, animals were used to draw wheeled carts. The wheel was then put
to use for making pottery. Later, people made the spinning wheel to spin thread.
5. Name a few Neolithic sites found in India other than Burzahom. How is the
latter different from others?
* Neolithic sites have been excavated in northern and north-western parts
of India, for example, Lahuradewa in the middle Gangetic Plains, Sarai Khola in
west Punjab and Mehrgarh in Pakistan. Two features distinguish the site found at
Burzahom from any other Neolithic site.
• There is a complete absence of microliths or small and sharp stone tools.
• Dogs were buried along with their masters. There is no evidence of this
practice elsewhere.
V. Answer the following questions in detail.
1. Write a note on the subdivisions of the Palaeolithic Age.
* The tools used were hand axes and chopping tools. At that time, the
climate was extremely cold and many parts of the Earth were covered in ice. In
the Middle Palaeolithic Age, people largely used flake tools. Some home
implements such as needles have been found, indicating that furs and animal
skins were sewn crudely to cover the human body. The Upper Palaeolithic Age
corresponds to the last phase of the Ice Age when the climate became warmer.
People of those times mostly used blade tools. This period also saw the first
human-made shelters
2. Discuss the types of stone tools used during the stone Age.
* The types of stone tools used were the core tools which were almost the
size of a human hand and were used for throwing and pounding; flake tools were
used for scraping and blade tools were twice in length as their breadth and
gradually evolved into knives, spears, and arrowheads.
3. What are the key features of the Mesolithic Age?
In the Mesolithic Age,
• People continued to live by hunting and gathering although changes in
climate encouraged changes in diet.
• There was greater emphasis on small animals and plant food, particularly
wild cereals. Such changes initiated greater interest in particular types of animals
and plants, and ultimately led to the domestication of certain animals. The dog
became the first pet of humans mainly because it defended them from wild
animals.
4. What do you know about the prehistoric sites of Nevasa and Kurnool?
* They led a nomadic existence, and lived on wild grasses, fruits and plants.
They made tools of stone, mostly of basalt or dolerite, which was abundant in the
river banks.
* Their basic tools were the hand axe, an all-purpose tool for cutting and
digging, cleavers for scraping hides, and choppers. Archaeologists have also
found some crudely made flake tools. Blade tools and microliths including
arrowheads, spearheads and scrapers have been found here, made of both stone
and bone. Archaeologists have also found fossil remains of a variety of animals,
such as rhinoceros, which was hunted and eaten by the early people.
5. Tribes were central to the social formation of the Neolithic Age. Discuss this
statement.
* Neolithic people lived in social groups called tribes. Groups of families,
usually related to each other and living together in villages, were known as tribes.
In order to make life smooth, tribes usually had a leader, often the oldest or the
strongest man in the village who was obeyed by the others. Within a tribe, there
was usually some kind of a division of labour. Some people, usually men, tilled
the land, hunted or looked after animals.
* Women also did agricultural work, looked after crops, and helped in
harvest. Tribes had their own languages, forms of music, and religious beliefs.
 Civ: Understanding Diversity
MIND MAP
Economic Diversity
Geographical Diversity * Different economic
activities.
* Six different physical * Agriculture practised in
divisions. Meaning of Diversity
fertile areas.
* Quality (or) state of * Fishing practised in coastal
* Different food habits areas.
varied occupations and being different (or)
* Rearing of sheep and yaks in
customs. varied.
hilly regions.

Understanding Diversity

Religious Diversity Unity in diversity in India

Cultural Diversity * India is known for unity in
* India is a secular
* Often reflected in the diversity.
country.
* People of India have lived
* It is a home to various festivals, customs and together harmoniously for
religious such as centuries.
dance forms of various
Hinduism, Puddhism, * The national movement
Sikhism and Christianity. regions. brought together people form
diverse backgrounds a forged
them into a nation – India.

Running notes
Diversity?
 Diversity means the quality or state of being different or varied.
 The difference can be in terms of race, gender religious or political beliefs
and so on.
Diversity In India:
 Since Ancient times people from various parts of the world have been
coming to India and settling down here, for various reasons.
 Different regions have developed diverse and unique cultures of their own.
 The ways of life in different parts of India in terms of geographical
economic, religious and cultural diversity.
Geographical Diversity:
 There are six main physical divisions in the country - the Northern
Mountains, the Northern plains, the Creat Indian Desert, the Coastal plains,
the Peninsular Plateau and the Islands
  People adapt their lives to the geographical areas in which they live.
 People living in different regions also have different food habits
 In cold places such as Kashmir, people eat meat and milk products,
especially in winters as few Crops are grown here.
 People living in Coastal areas eat -Fish and coconut. The food is also
cooked with a lot of spices.
Economic Diversity:
 In different regions of India different Crops are grown.
 Agriculture is the primary occupation of People residing in the fertile
Northern plains.
 Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu mainly grow rice.
 Punjab, utter Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh mainly grow wheat.
 In cold regions such as Ladakh, very little agriculture in possible because
the region is Covered with Snow for most parts of the year. Bearing Sheep
and yaks is the main occupation of the people
 Eastern and South eastern Rajasthan, the main Crops grown are Jowar,
bajra, maize, oilseeds and wheat.
 The western part of the state is dry and arid. Camel is the most important
livestock reared here.
Religious Diversity:
 The oldest religion of India is Hinduism.
 Other main religions that thrive in India are Islam, Christianity, Buddhism
Jainism, Zoroastrianism and Sikhism.
 Our constitution declares that India is a secular country.
 Where all its citizens enjoy the Right to freedom of Religion as a
fundamental right.
Cultural diversity:
 People living in different regions of India Speak different languages, they
have different types of food and they celebrate different festivals.
 There are 22 languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian
Constitution.
What does diversity add to our lives?
 Diversity adds variety to our life and enriches our lives significantly.
 It teaches us to be open minded and tolerant.
 It helps us evolve as better human beings because we respect people with
different religious beliefs, viewpoints, Customs & Cultures was exhibited
clearly during the struggle for independence from the British rule.
  Ex: Thousands of Indians from various parts of the country and from
diverse cultural backgrounds, fought against the British exploitation of
India and finally forced them to leave our Country.
Book Back Exercises
I. Tick (√) the correct option.
1. India is a land of diversity because __________
A. People follow different religions
B. People speak different languages
C. Both a and b
2. The total number of physical division in India is __________
A. Two B. Four C. Six
3. People adapt to their lives according to __________
A. Religious beliefs B. Geographical conditions C. Political views
4. The main occupation of people in a Northern plains is __________
A. Agriculture B. Trade C. Cattle and sheep rearing
5. In what way are Kerala and Ladakh white different?
A. Geographical features B. Economic activities C. Both a and b
6. The most important livestock read in the western part of Rajasthan is
__________.
A. Cow B. Yak C. Camel
7. The total number of languages enlisted in the 8th schedule of constitution of
India are __________.
A. 200 B. 28 C. 22
8. Our constitution bestows on us the __________.
A. Right to Equality B. Right to follow any religion
C. Both a and b
9. Diversity has __________
A. Made our life difficult B. Made life monotonous
C. Enriched our lives
10. India is a unique example of __________.
A. Unity in diversity B. Diversity in unity C. Conflict in diversity
II. State whether the following statements are true or false.
1 Yak in an important livestock reared in the western part of Rajasthan-False
2. Hinduism is the only religion practised in India-FALSE
3. Diversity teachers us to be respectful and open-minded-TRUE
4. People adapt their lives to geographical areas-TRUE
5. The constitution of India states that the Right to Equality is a Fundamental
Right-TRUE
III. Answer the following questions in brief.
1. Discuss the geographical diversity of India.
* India has six geographical divisions, namely the Northern Mountains, the
Northern Plains, the Great Indian Desert, the Coastal Plains, the Peninsular
Plateau and the Islands. People adapt their lives to the geographical locations
they live in. They dress according to the climate of the geographical location they
live in and eat food items that are abundant in the region.
2. Write a brief note on economic diversity in India.
* The economic activities of an area are influenced by the area’s
geographical conditions. Different regions grow different crops. Agriculture is
the primary occupation of people residing in the fertile Indo-Gangetic Plains.
People in coastal areas depend on sea food as means to their livelihood unlike
those in the mountains, who depend on cattle and sheep rearing for their
livelihood.
3. What is cultural diversity?
* The existence of various or different cultures where all of them are
equally respected is called cultural diversity. India is a land of cultural diversity
as people living in different parts of the country speak different language,
celebrate different festivals, and follow different religions.
4. State and explain two positive effects of Diversity.
* Diversity teaches us to be open-minded and tolerant. It helps us evolve as
better human beings because we respect people with different religious beliefs,
viewpoints, tastes, customs and cultures.
IV. Answer the following questions in detail.
1. Why is India referred to as a land of 'Unity in Diversity '?
India is considered as a land of ‘unity in diversity’ because.
• India is a vast country, with a variety of geographical and climatic
conditions.
• In India, you find many different ethnic, racial, and religious groups.
• People living in different regions of India speak different languages, have
different types of food, celebrate different festivals, and practise different
religions.
2. Discuss the various forms of diversity in India.
Diversity in India is of different types.
• The most significant among these are geographical, religious-cultural, and
economic diversities.
• Geographical diversity determines the kind of food they eat, what they do
for a living and the customs they follow.
 • Similarly, religious and cultural diversities determine their faiths and
cultural practices while economic diversity determines their occupations.
3. What does diversity add to our lives? Explain with examples.
* Diversity adds variety to our life and enriches it significantly. It helps us
understand that one thing can be done in many different ways. It teaches us to be
open-minded and tolerant. It helps us evolve as better human beings because we
respect people with different religious beliefs, viewpoints, tastes, customs and
cultures.
* During times of war (e.g., the Indo-China War in 1962 and the Kargil
War in 1999) and in face of natural calamities such as earthquakes and floods,
the entire country comes together to meet the challenges. Thus, by coming
together, the Indians demonstrate how, despite being different, they constitute
one nation.