Class 06 || S.St. History || Ch. 02 From Hunting-Gathering to Growing Food

Class 06 || S.St. History || Ch. 02 From Hunting-Gathering to Growing Food 

The earliest people: why were they on the move?

We describe people who lived in the subcontinent 2 million years ago as hunter-gatherers. This name has been provided because they hunted wild animals, caught fish and birds, gathered fruits, roots, nuts, seeds, leaves, stalks and eggs for their food.

Hunter-gatherers moved from place to place because of the following reasons:

1. If they had stayed at one place for a long time, they would have eaten up all the available plant and animal resources.
2. Animals move from place to place so these people had to follow their movements for hunting purposes.
3. People may have moved from season to season in search of different kinds of plants.
4. People living on their banks would have had to go in search of water during the dry seasons from their places.

How do we know about these people?

Archaeologists have found some of the things hunter-gatherers made and used. They made and used tools of stone, wood and bone, of which stone tools have survived best.

• Stone tools were used to cut meat and bone, scrape bark (from trees) and hides (animal skins), chop fruit and roots.
• Other tools were used to chop wood.

Choosing a place to live in

People preferred to live in places having the following availability.

• They lived near to the sources of water, such as rivers and lakes.
• People tried to find places where good quality stone was easily available as it was important for hunting.

Finding out about the fire

Traces of ash show that the people at that time have invented the fire. It could have been used for many things:

1. as a source of light
2. to roast meat
3. to scare away animals

A changing environment

Around 12,000 years ago, there were major changes in the climate of the world, which led to the development of grasslands in many areas. This also led to an increase in the number of animals that survived on the grass. So, people start thinking about herding and rearing these animals. Fishing also became important for people.

The beginning of farming and herding

With the development of grassland, people came to know about growing wheat, barley, rice in different parts of the subcontinent. This is how they started practising farming.

People also attract and then tame animals by leaving food for them near their shelters. The first animal to be tamed was the wild ancestor of the dog. Animals such as sheep, goat, cattle and also the pig lived in herds, and most of them ate grass. Often, people protected these animals from attacks by other wild animals. This is how they became herders.

A new way of life

People had to stay in the same place for a long time looking after the plants, watering, weeding, driving away animals and birds – till the grain ripened. Then they start thinking of storing the grain for food and seeds. They began making large clay pots, or wove baskets, or dug pits into the ground.

Storing animals

Animals that are reared can be used as a ‘store’ of food.

Towards a settled life

Archaeologists have found traces of huts or houses at some sites which shows that people have a stable life.

1. They have also found cooking hearths both inside and outside the huts, which suggests that, depending on the weather, people used to cook food either indoors or outdoors.
2. Stone tools have been found from many sites. Many of these are different from the earlier Palaeolithic tools and that is why they are called Neolithic. These include tools that were polished to give a fine cutting edge, and mortars and pestles. Mortars and pestles are used for grinding grain even today. Apart from these tools, some of the tools were also made of bone.
3. Many kinds of earthen pots have also been found. These were used for decoration and for storing things.
4. People also began weaving cloth, using different kinds of materials. For example: cotton.

A closer look – Living and dying in Mehrgarh

Mehrgarh was one of the places where people learnt to grow barley and wheat, and rear sheep and goats for the first time in this area. At this village, many animal bones were found. Other finds at Mehrgarh include remains of square or rectangular houses. When people die, their relatives and friends pay respect to them. The dead person was buried with goats, which were probably meant to serve as food in the next world. Several burial sites have been found at Mehrgarh.

Exercise Questions Page No 22

Let’s Recall

1. Complete the sentences

(a) Hunter-gatherers chose to live in caves and rock shelters because – they found

protection from rains, winds and sunlight.

(b) Grasslands developed around —-12,000 years— ago

 

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

Solution 2:

When they plant a seed, it takes some time to grow. Depending on the type of seeds used, the time taken would vary from days, weeks, months and years. It means they had to stay in the same place to take care of the plants by watering, weeding, driving away animals and birds – till the grain ripened. Once ripened, they had to think of ways to store it. Hence, they had to stay in the same place for a long time.

3. Why do archaeologists think that many people who lived in Mehrgarh were hunters to start with and that herding became more important later?

Solution 3:

Archaeologists found the bones of many animals such as deer in the earlier levels. Hence, they could conclude that they were hunters to start with. Herding became important because they found bones of sheep and goat in the later levels.

4. Why did the hunter-gatherers travel from place to place? In what ways are these similar to/different from the reasons for which we travel today?

Solution 4:

There are 4 reasons

1. They would have eaten up all the plant and animal resources.
2. Animals move from place to place, hence they had to follow their movements
3. Plants and trees bear fruits in different seasons. So, people may have moved from season to season, in search of different kinds of plants.
4. They need water to survive and many rivers and lakes were seasonal. So, they had to go in search of water during dry seasons.

5. List three ways in which hunter-gatherers used fire (see page 15). Would you use fire for any of these purposes today?

Solution 5:

It was primarily used for 3 purposes.

1. Clearing forest area
2. Cooking
3. For protection from wild animals

Nowadays, we use fire for:

1. To keep ourselves warm
2. Cooking

6. List 3 ways in which the lives of farmers and herders would have been different from that of hunter-gatherers.

Solution 6:

1. Farmers and herders would stay in one location; whereas hunter-gatherers would have to move from place to place, following the movement of animals.
2. Farmers and herders would stay in huts or houses, whereas hunter-gatherers would stay in caves.
3. For farmers and herders, the food source would be crops and domesticated animals like sheep, goat; whereas hunters would rely on wild animals as a source of food.

Question & Answer

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

Ans : We know that a plant takes several months to bear fruits and seeds. So, people had to stay at the same place for a long time to take care of the crop. 

Q.2: Look at the table on page no 25 of the textbook, If Neinuo wanted to eat rice, which are the places she should have visited?

Ans : Koldihwa and Mahagara in modern day Uttar Pradesh. 

Q.3: Why do archaeologists think that many people who lived in Mehrgarh were hunters to start with and that herding became more important later?

Ans : Archaeologists have found different types of remains from different levels of excavation at Mehrgarh. Remains from deeper levels show bones of wild animals. This shows that people were still hunters. Remains from upper levels show bones of domesticated animals. This shows that later on people became herders. 
Q.4: State whether true or false:

(a) Millets have been found at Hallur.
(b) People in Burzahom lived in rectangular houses.
(c) Chirand is a site in Kashmir.
(d) Jadeite, found in Daojali Hading, may have been brought from China.

Ans : 
Millets have been found at Hallur. [True]
People in Burzahom lived in rectangular houses. [False]
Chirand is a site in Kashmir. [False]
Jadeite, found in Daojali Hading, may have been brought from China. [True] 
 

Q.5: List three ways in which the lives of farmers and herders would have been different from that of hunter-gatherers.

Ans : Hunter-gatherers
• Lived nomadic life.
• Depended on wild animals for meat.
• Food supply was not secure.
Farmers-herders
• Lived settled life.
• Depended on domesticated animals for meat.
• Food supply was more secure.