Quick Revision Notes & Formula Sheet

Class 6 Social Science: From Gathering to Growing Food

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### 1. Key Vocabulary & Terms (महत्वपूर्ण शब्द)

• Hunter-Gatherers (शिकारी-संग्रहकर्ता): Early humans who hunted animals and gathered wild plants, fruits, and nuts for food.
• Domestication (घरेलूकरण): The process in which people plant seeds, tend to crops, and tame animals.
• Livestock (पालतू पशु): Animals raised on a farm to produce labor and commodities such as meat, milk, and wool.
• Tribes (जनजातियाँ): Groups of two or three families living together in small settlements or camps, following similar customs.
• Archaeology (पुरातत्व): The study of human history and prehistory through the excavation of sites and the analysis of artifacts.
• Artifacts (पुरावशेष): Objects made by human beings, typically an item of cultural or historical interest.

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### 2. Chronology & Major Milestones (प्रमुख घटनाक्रम)

• Beginning of Domestication: Started around 12,000 years ago.
• Beginning of Agriculture (Farming): Around 12,000 years ago.
• Settled Life (First Villages/Mehrgarh): Around 8,000 years ago.
• Beginning of Neolithic Period: Roughly 10,000 years ago.

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### 3. Shift from Gathering to Growing Food (संग्रहकर्ता से भोजन उत्पादक तक)

• Why did people move?
  1. Exhaustion of plant and animal resources in one area.
  2. Animals moved from place to place in search of food; humans followed them.
  3. Seasonal changes in search of different plants/fruits.
  4. In search of water during dry seasons.
• Why did farming start?
  • Climate change led to an increase in grasslands, which increased the number of grain-bearing grasses like wheat, barley, and rice.
  • Men, women, and children observed where edible plants found, how seeds broke off, fell on the ground, and new plants sprouted. This led them to protect plants from birds and animals.

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### 4. Domestication of Animals (पशुओं का पालतू बनाना)

• First Animal to be Tamed: The wild ancestor of the dog.
• Other Early Domesticated Animals: Sheep, goats, cattle, and pigs.
• Benefits of Animals:
  • Served as a ready source of food (meat and milk).
  • Helped in farming and transportation.
  • Acted as a "storehouse" of food on the hoof.

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### 5. A Settled Life (स्थाई जीवन)

• Pit-houses (गड्ढे वाले घर): In places like Burzahom (modern-day Kashmir), people built pit-houses by digging into the ground, with steps leading down. This provided shelter from cold weather.
• Tools: Tools of the Neolithic period were polished to give a fine cutting edge, and mortars and pestles were used for grinding grain.
• Earthen Pots: Used for storing grains, cooking food, and keeping things safe.

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### 6. Important Archaeological Sites & Findings (महत्वपूर्ण पुरातात्विक स्थल)

Site (स्थल)	Location (स्थान)	Important Findings (प्रमुख साक्ष्य/विशेषताएँ)
Mehrgarh	Present-day Pakistan	One of the earliest villages; evidence of farming (wheat, barley) and rearing sheep/goats; square/rectangular houses.
Burzahom	Present-day Jammu & Kashmir	Pit-houses built into the ground.
Daojali Hading	Assam (Brahmaputra valley)	Stone tools, mortars, and pestles; evidence of jade (a stone brought from China) and fossil wood.
Mahagara & Koldihwa	Uttar Pradesh	Early evidence of rice and domesticated cattle.
Halisur / Mehrgarh	Various	Bones of wild animals, cattle, sheep, goat, and pig found.

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### 7. Customs and Traditions of Tribes (जनजातियों की जीवनशैली)

• People lived in small communities called tribes.
• Customs: They had their own rich cultural traditions, songs, music, and language.
• Work Division: Men, women, and children did different tasks together, such as farming, herding, and collecting forest produce. Leaders were often chosen based on age, experience, or bravery (elders).