Here are expected questions from NCERT Class 6 History Chapter On the Trail Of The Earliest People.

1. Who are hunter-gatherers?

They are people who lived tens of thousands of years ago before agriculture developed. They are called hunter gatherers because they hunted animals, caught birds and fish and gathered fruits, roots, nuts, seeds, leaves, stalks and eggs.

2. Why did hunter gatherers move from place to place?

Hunter gatherers hunted animals for food and gathered fruits, nuts, seeds, eggs and stalks. They had to move from place to place because if they lived in the same place, they would eat up all the available plant and animal resources there. Animals also move from place to place. Hence, people who hunted them for food also had to move. Another reason that forced people to move was the scarcity of water. Life is impossible without water and hence people always lived close to a source of water. Since many rivers are seasonal, people had to move to other areas during winter and summer when these water sources dried up. People may have also moved from season to season because many fruits are seasonal.

3. Hunter gatherers used tools made of ………………………., ……………………… and ………………………

Stones, bones and wood

4. What are factory sites?

These are places where good quality stones that could be used for making tools were found and where people made those tools.

5. What are habitation-cum-factory sites?

Factory sites are those places where good quality stones were found and where people made tools using those stones. In some of these sites people lived for longer periods of time. Hence, they are called habitation-cum-factory sites.

6. What are sites?

These are places where remains of things (pots, tools, buildings etc.) used by people thousands of years ago are found.

7. Write a short note on paleolithic period.

This is the period of history that extends from 2 million years ago to about 12,000 years ago. Paleo means old and lithos means stone. This was the period when people mainly used stone tools. The paleolithic period is further divided into Lower, Middle and Upper Paleolithic period. It covers 99% of our history.

8. What is Mesolithic period?

Major environmental changes started occurring in the world about 12,000 years ago. The period from 12,000 years ago to about 10,000 years ago is called the Mesolithic period.

9. What are microliths?

These are stone tools used during the Mesolithic period. These are tiny and were probably stuck on to the handles of bones or wood to make tools.

10. What is Neolithic period?

This is the period of history that started from about 10,000 years ago.

11. Why did hunter-gatherers chose to live in caves and rock shelters?

Hunter gatherers chose to live in caves and rock shelters because these places provided shelter from rain, heat and wind.

12. Grasslands developed around ……………………… years ago.

12,000

13. Early people painted on the ……………………. of caves.

Walls

14. In Hunsgi, tools were made of ………………………

Limestone

15. For what purposes did hunter gatherers use fire?

Hunter gatherers may have used fire as a source of heat, to roast meat and to scare away animals.

16. Bhimbetka is in present day ………………………….

Madhya Pradesh

17. Name some paleolithic sites in the Indian subcontinent

Bhimbetka, Hunsgi and Kurnool Caves