Here is the notes from NCERT Class 6 History Chapter 2 – “On the Trail of the Earliest People”.

Who were hunter-gatherers?

• • • Early humans lived by:
      • Hunting animals
      • Gathering plant produce (fruits, nuts, roots, seeds)
    • They kept moving in search of food and resources.

 Why did they move from place to place?

• • 1. Search for food
       • If they had stayed at one place for a long time, they would eaten up all the available plant and animal resources.
    2. Animal Movement
       • Animals move from place to place for their food, that is why those who hunted them had to follow their movement.
    3. Seasonal fruits
       • Plants and trees bear fruit in different seasons. So, people may move from season to season  in search of different kinds of plants.
    4. Water
       • People, plant and animals need water to survive.
       • Water is found in lakes, streams and rivers.
       • While many rivers and lakes are perennial (with water throughout the year) other are seaonal.
       • People living on the banks of river go from one place to another in search of water during the dry seasons.

• • • Through tools they used, made of:
      • Stone (especially Paleolithic tools)
      • Bone
      • Wood
    • Archaeologists study these remains.

Choosing a place to live in

• • • Habitation sites: where people lived.
    • Factory sites: places where stones was found and where people made tools.
    • Habitation cum factory: places where people lived, and availability of stones for making of tools

Making of tools

• • • • Two main methods:

• Stone on Stone – striking one stone with another.

• Pressure flaking – using pressure to shape tools finely.

 Discovery of Fire

• • • Early humans learned to use fire:
      • For cooking, warmth, and protection.
      • A major turning point in human history.

 Time periods of the Stone Age

• Palaeolithic Age (Old Stone Age):

1. 1. • 2 million years ago to 12,000 years ago.
      • Covers 90% of human history.
      • Divided into Lower, Middle and Upper Palaeolithic

• Mesolithic Age (Middle Stone Age):

1. 1. • 12,000 to 10,000 years ago.
      • Tools became smaller and sharper (microliths).

• Neolithic Age (New Stone Age): Later period with farming and herding.

Places where early humans lived

• • • Bhimbetka (Madhya Pradesh)
      •  famous for rock shelters and cave paintings
      • Habitation sites.
    • Hunsgi (Karnataka)
      • large number of tools
      • Habitation cum factory sites.
    • Kurnool Caves (Andhra Pradesh)
      • Use of fire

Important Archaeological Sites

Palaeolithic sites

• • • Bhimbetka- cave painting
    • Kurnool caves- use of fire.
    • Hungsi- large number of tools.
    • Patne (Maharashtra)- ostrich egg shells

Neolithic sites

• • • Mehrgarh
    • Burzahom
    • Mahagara
    • Koldihawa
    • Chirand
    • Daojali Hading
    • Hallur
    • Paiyampalli

Megalithic sites

• • • Brahmagiri
    • Adichanallur

Early village

• • • Inamgaon