Textbook Solutions: The Earliest Societies | Footprints Class 6: Book Solutions, Notes & Worksheets PDF Download

I. Choose the correct option. 

1. 
Ans:  (c)

2. 
Ans: (a)

3. 
Ans: (a) 

4. 
Ans:  (b)

5. 
Ans: (c)

6.
Ans: (b)

7. 
Ans: (c)

8. 
Ans: (a)

9. 
Ans: (c)

10. 
Ans: (c)

II. State whether the following statement! are true or false. Rewrite the statements to correct them. 

1. 
Ans: False

2. 
Ans: False

3. 
Ans: True

4. 
Ans: False

5.
Ans: False

III. Answer the following questions In brief. 

1. 
Ans: The Early Palaeolithic Age, also known as the Old Stone Age, lasted from approximately 500,000 BCE to 10,000 BCE. During this period, early humans were nomadic, relying on hunting, gathering plants, and making tools from stones, bones, and sticks. They did not produce food but made significant progress in tool manufacturing and discovered fire.

2. 
Ans: The discovery of fire in the Palaeolithic Age was likely accidental. Archaeologists believe that early humans may have discovered fire by rubbing two stones against each other. This discovery occurred in various regions, including Chesowanja in Kenya, East Africa.

3. 
Ans: The discovery of agriculture marked the beginning of the Neolithic Age or the New Stone Age. It was a significant turning point in human history as people transitioned from being hunter-gatherers to food producers. This allowed them to settle in one place, leading to the development of villages, and it led to the domestication of plants and animals, which greatly affected human society and culture.

4. 
Ans: The invention of the wheel in the Neolithic Age was a crucial achievement in human history. It made transportation and the movement of goods and people much more efficient. The wheel revolutionized various aspects of human life, including trade, agriculture, and pottery making. It allowed for the development of wheeled carts and later led to the creation of the spinning wheel for making thread.

5. 
Ans: Some Neolithic sites in India, apart from Burzahom, include Lahuradewa in the middle Gangetic Plains, Sarai Kholi in West Punjab, Mehrgarh in Pakistan, Piklihal in Karnataka, and Daojali Hading in the North Cachar Hills. Burzahom is different from others because it has unusual dwelling pits, where people lived below ground level, possibly to shield themselves from the bitter cold. Additionally, it lacked microliths (small and sharp stone tools) and had the unique practice of burying dogs alongside their masters.

IV. Answer the following questions in detail. 

1. 
Ans: 

• The Early Palaeolithic Age: This period lasted from around 500,000 BCE to 10,000 BCE. Early humans were nomadic, relying on hunting, gathering, and the use of crude stone tools and the discovery of fire.
• The Mesolithic Age: This followed the Palaeolithic Age and lasted from about 10,000 BCE to 8,000 BCE. People continued hunting and gathering, but changes in diet led to an emphasis on small animals and plant foods. Microliths, smaller and more efficient tools, were used during this period.
• The Neolithic Age: This period began around 8,000 BCE and continued until about 3,000 BCE. It marked the transition to settled life, the invention of agriculture, and the domestication of plants and animals.

2. 
Ans: Stone tools played a crucial role in the Stone Age. Early humans used stones for various purposes. In the Palaeolithic Age, they made crude tools such as knives, axheads, choppers, and cleavers by shaping stones. In the Mesolithic Age, smaller and more efficient tools called microliths were used for hunting and other activities. In the Neolithic Age, stone tools were shaped and polished, lasting longer and being used for agriculture, including stone axes, sickles, and ploughs.

3. 
Ans: The Mesolithic Age, which dates from about 10,000 BCE to 8,000 BCE, had several key features:

• People continued to live by hunting and gathering but experienced changes in diet.
• There was an emphasis on small animals and plant food, leading to the domestication of certain animals like dogs.
• Microliths, smaller and more efficient tools, were used.
• Shifting from the Palaeolithic Age to the Neolithic Age, the Mesolithic Age served as a transitional phase.

4. 
Ans: Nevasa, located on the banks of the river Pravara in Maharashtra, is a prehistoric site dating back to approximately 300,000 years ago. It was inhabited by early human beings during the Palaeolithic period. They led a nomadic lifestyle, relying on wild grasses, fruits, and plants for food. The site has yielded tools made of basalt or dolerite, including hand axes, cleavers, and choppers.
Kurnool, in Andhra Pradesh, houses several limestone caves that reveal remains of our ancestors from the Upper Palaeolithic and Mesolithic periods. Excavations have unearthed blade tools, microliths (such as arrowheads, spearheads, and scrapers), and fossil remains of various animals, including rhinoceros, which was hunted and consumed by early humans. These caves provided temporary shelter for people.

5. 
Ans: 

• In the Neolithic Age, people began to transition from nomadic hunter-gatherers to settled agricultural communities. This shift led to the formation of tribes, which played a central role in the social structure of the Neolithic society.
• Tribes were groups of families, often related to each other, who lived together in villages. They worked collectively to cultivate crops, raise domesticated animals, and manage other aspects of their settled life. Within a tribe, there was usually a leader, typically the oldest or strongest man, who was respected and obeyed by the others. This leadership helped in coordinating activities and resolving disputes.
• The division of labor was also prevalent within tribes. Some members focused on agricultural tasks, while others engaged in hunting, animal husbandry, and other essential activities. Women played a significant role in agricultural work, tending to crops and aiding in harvests.
• Tribes had their own languages, forms of music, and religious beliefs, fostering a sense of identity and community. When someone from the tribe passed away, they were buried with personal belongings and tools, reflecting their beliefs about the afterlife.
• Overall, tribes provided a framework for cooperation, mutual support, and organization, which was crucial in the early stages of settled agriculture during the Neolithic Age.