GEMS UNITED INDIAN SCHOOL – ABU DHABI
GRADE: VI SUB: History
Topic: The Early Humans – Hunters and Gatherers
NOTES -
New Terms
Nomad A wanderer
Microliths A very small stone tool
Name of the following
1. The period of transition between the old and the new stone age – Mesolithic Age
2. A Paleolithic site each in Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh –
Ans: Attirampakkam – in Kanchipuram dist tamil nadu
Bhimbetka – in raisen dist in Madhya Pradesh ( this site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site )
3. A Site in Spain where cave paintings have been Discovered – Altamira cave
4. Our source of Knowledge of the stone Age -
• Archaeological excavations
• Fossil
• Cave paintings and rock art
5. A stone ball that might have been used to bring down animals from a distance
Ans: Bola
Multiple Choice Questions.
1. Life on Earth appeared for the first time
a. Around 4.5 million years ago c. Around 3.5 billion years ago
b. Around 20,000 years ago d. Around 1.5 million years ago
Arrange the following in chronological order
• Use of stone axes with metal handle
• Use of axe – heads
• Farming and herding
• Living in houses made of sticks, twigs and muds
Ans: Use of axe – heads • Use of stone axes with metal handle
• Living in houses made of sticks, twigs and muds
• Farming and herding
The least changes occurred in this period of human history
a. 2 million BCE to 1 million BCE
b. 8.000 BCE to 2,000 BCE
c. 12,000 BCE to 8,000 BCE
d. 8,000 BCE to 4,000 BCE
If we were in the year 12,000 BCE, that is what we would possibly see early humans doing :
a. Using spheroids
b. Raising animals for their meat and milk
c. Travelling in Wheeled carts
d. Cultivating their own crops
Identify the tool with the help of the following information
• It had sharp edges
• It was a very small tool, usually less than 3cm in size
• It was used as the backward – facing points of arrows and spears.
a. Spheroid b. Hand- Axe c. Hammer d. Microlith
In the question given below, there are two statements marked as Assertion ( A) and Reason (R) . Read the
statements and choose the correct option:
A. Fire was one of the most important discoveries made by humans
R. Fire could protect early humans from wild animals
Options:
a. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
b. Both A and R are true, but R is only a partial explanation of A.
c. A is true but Ris false.
d. Ai s false but Ais true.
Give reasons for the following
I. The period of human history from around 2.5 million years ago to 4,000 BCE is known as the stone age.
The Stone Age is named for the widespread use of stone tools by early humans.
II. Early humans frequently moved over great distance
Early humans moved frequently to find food, water, and shelter because they were nomads.
III. A greater variety of plants and animals became available for hunting and gathering in the Mesolithic Age.
The warmer climate of the Mesolithic Age increased the variety of available plants and animals.
IV. It became easier to hunt fast – moving animals in the Mesolithic Age
Advanced tools like bows and arrows made hunting fast-moving animals easier in the Mesolithic Age.
1. Answer in one or two sentences-
1. What were the two main sources of food for humans during the Paleolithic age?
Answer – Early people known as Nomads wandered from place to place in search of food.
• They used to gather food items like fruits, roots, etc, which are available in the natural
surroundings.
2. Why did people need tools?
Answer – Early humans started making tools out of stone for hunting animals and Protection.
3. How did early humans make fire?
Answer – It is believed that in the course of sharpening their stone tools, sparks may have ignited
dried leaves lying around. This may have given them an idea on how fires could be started. Over
time they learned how to control fire.
4. How did the early human communicate?
Answer – Early humans communicated either through sign language or through drawings.
5. Write three phases of stone age.
- Answer -There are different phases in stone age
- Paleolithic age or old stone age
- Mesolithic age or Middle stone age
- Neolithic age or new stone age
2. Answers in paragraph-
1. Describe the different kinds of tools used by early humans during the old age. How did the
nature of tools change in the Mesolithic age?
Answer –a. Early human started making tools out of stone for hunting animals and protection.
These tools were made mostly of flint, a special kind of stone that could be chipped easily.
b- Archaeologists discovered a variety of crude stone tools, such as hand axes, choppers,
Wooden sticks were used to make harpoons for fishing and blades for cutting.
c - In Mesolithic period age the large stone tools of the earlier age gave way to smaller, sharper
Stone tool called microliths. They were used were used as the tips of spears and arrows
2. ‘The discovery of fire and its control dramatically changed the way the early humans
lived’. Evaluate this statement.
Answer –
a. Control over fire allowed them to move to colder place and thus spread over a geographically
large area.
b. They were now able to cook the meat, cooking killed germs in the raw meat and thus
increased the average lifespan of early human.
c. Fire protected them from animals and against rival groups of humans.
d. Mastery over fire served as a tool for community building as early human began to gather in
groups around campfires’ need to communicate with others in the group may have
encouraged the growth of language.
3. Describe main features of Paleolithic age.
Answer –
1. Food –
People were mainly hunters- hunting animals and gathering fruits , nuts and berries.
2. Tools –
-Early humans started making tools out of stone for hunting animals and protection.
-Flint –a special kind of stone that could be chipped easily.
-Stone tools – Axes, Choppers , Scrappers and Bolas.
3. Shelter –
- People in the stone age lived in natural rock caves or temporary shelters made of sticks , bones
and mud.
4. Clothing –
- Early humans wore clothes made of animals fur, leaves and barks of trees, in order to protect
themselves from heat , cold and rain.
4. FIRE – It is believed that while sharpening their stone tools, they might have noticed sparks while
striking two stones together. This may have given them an idea on how fires could be started. They
also, over time, learned how to control fire.
5. LANGUAGE AND ART –Early humans communicated either through sign language or through
drawings. Paintings mostly depicted humans and animals, engaged in hunting , war or play.
4. What were the uses of Stone tools?
Answer –
• To chop roots and fruits.
• To make spears and arrows for hunting.
• For digging grounds.
• For tearing away animal skin.
• For protecting himself from wild animals
5. Describe about the Mesolithic age.
Answer –
• This period is marked by the rising of temperature and the retreat of glaciers that had
covered large part of the earth surface. The weather became warmer , which let to the
emergence of grasslands and animals.
• Human started collecting all grains for food.
• Large stone tools of the earliest age gave way to smaller, sharper stone tools called
microliths.
• Mesolithic sites in India – Karnataka, Tamil Nadu , Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh , Madhya
Pradesh
3 . Give reasons of the following –
1 . Historians mainly depends on fossils and archaeological sources for the
reconstruction of the Stone Age.
Answer – For the earliest periods of human society, there is no written records. So, historians
and archaeologists depends on archaeological remains and fossils to gather information about it.
2 . Flint was used to make stone tools.
Answer –Flint was used to make stone tools because flint was a special kind of stone that could be
chipped easily. Therefore, early human generally settled in area where there was an abundant
supply of flint.
3 . Early humans led the life of nomads.
Answer –Old Stone Age human beings were mainly hunter-gatherers – hunting animals and
gathering fruits, nuts and berries for food. Thus, in this phase, they lived the life of nomads.
