Quick Revision Notes & Formula Sheet

Class 6 Social Science: From Gathering to Growing Food

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).