NCERT Solutions for Class 8 History Chapter 2 - From Hunting-Gathering to Growing Food

Let’s Recall

Q1. Complete the sentences
(a) Hunter-gatherers chose to live in caves and rock shelters because _____________.
Ans: they discovered shelter from the sun, wind, and rain.

(b) Grasslands developed around ______________ years ago.
Ans: 12,000 years

Q2. Why do people who grow crops have to stay in the same place for a long time?
Ans: 

• To grow crops, people need to stay in one place for a long time. This is because they must take care of the plants, protecting them from birds, animals, and even other people. 
• They also need to water the plants, remove weeds, and make sure the crops grow properly. Depending on the type of seeds, it can take days, weeks, months, or even years for them to sprout and ripen. 
• Once the crops are ready, they must figure out how to store the harvested grain. This process of staying in one place to tend to crops is essential for leading a settled and civilized life, as it provides food and meets other daily needs.

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: In the earliest stages, archaeologists discovered the bones of numerous species, including deer. They could therefore deduce that they were originally hunters. The discovery of sheep and goat bones in later levels made herding crucial.

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: Hunter-gatherers moved from place to place for several reasons:

1. Food Scarcity: If they stayed in one place too long, they would exhaust the local supply of plants and animals, requiring them to move to find new food sources.
2. Following Animals: Animals moved in search of food, and hunter-gatherers followed them to hunt. For example, they might follow herds of deer or wild cattle.
3. Seasonal Changes: Different plants and trees bear fruit at different times of the year, so people moved to find the fruits and plants that were in season.
4. Water Availability: Water was essential for survival, and since not all water sources were permanent, they had to move to find water during dry seasons.

Similarities and Differences with Modern Travel:

• Similarities: Just like hunter-gatherers, people today often travel for essential needs, such as food (grocery shopping) or water (visiting areas with better water quality). Additionally, people might move seasonally, such as migrating to warmer places during winter.
• Differences: Unlike hunter-gatherers, modern travel is more often for leisure, work, or exploration rather than survival. Today, we have settled homes, and most people do not need to move frequently to find food or water, as these resources are readily available in one place. Technology and infrastructure have also made travel faster and more convenient.

Q5. List three ways in which hunter-gatherers used fire (see page 14). 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. Do you grow the cereals you eat. 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: Some cereals eaten by us are listed below:

• Wheat
• Rice
• Barley
• Black gram
• White gram
• Maize
• Lentil
• Peas
• Pulses
• Millet