NCERT Solutions: From Hunting-Gathering to Growing Food Notes | Study Social Studies (SST) Class 6 - Class 6

Let’s Recall

Q1. Complete the sentences

(a) Hunter-gatherers chose to live in caves and rock shelters because they found protection from rains, winds and sunlight.

Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka

(b) Grasslands developed around 12,000 years ago

Q2. Why do people who grow crops have to stay in the same place for a long time?
Ans: People who grow crops have to stay in the same place for a long time because they had to look after the crops. The plants had to be watered and had to be protected from birds and animals so that they could grow and the seeds would ripen.

Q3. 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 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. 

Let’s Discuss

Q4. 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?
Ans: 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.
   
   

Q5. List three ways in which hunter-gatherers used fire (see page 15). Would you use fire for any of these purposes today?
Ans: It was primarily used for 3 purposes:

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

Nowadays, we use fire:

1. To keep ourselves warm
2. For cooking
   
   

Q6. List three ways in which the lives of farmers and herders would have been different from that of hunter-gatherers.
Ans: Three ways in which the lives of farmers and herders would have been different from hunt-gatherers are:

1. Hunt-gatherers keep moving from place to place in search of food while farmers and herders grow their food from their living place.
2. Hunt-gatherers did not build any permanent houses mostly they live in caves while farmers and herders build huts and houses.
3. Hunt-gatherers had no role in protecting animals and plants while farmers and herders protect animals and plants.
   
   

Let’s Do

Q7. List the cereals that you eat.
Ans: Wheat, Rice, maize, barley, bajra etc.

Q8. Do you grow the cereals you have listed in answer number 7? If yes, draw a chart to show the stages in growing them. If not, draw a chart to show how these cereals reach you from the farmers who grow them.
Ans: No, I don’t grow these cereals.
The cereals reach from the farmers through following process.
Farmers → Middleman → Wholesaler → Retailer → We (buyer)