From Hunting-gathering to Growing Food Class 6 Notes CBSE History Chapter 2 [Free PDF Download]

1. This chapter tells about the transformation of the human habit of collecting food. This transformation started with hunting-gathering and moved to grow food. In the early period, people used to gather food by hunting and gathering. They depended upon other animals and plants to meet their food requirements. Gradually, as civilization started, people started realizing the need of growing food. The hunting and gathering of food were entirely resourcing constraints. So, they learnt to grow food.

2. Lives of the Earliest People:

Around two million years ago, people used to hunt and gather only as far as the way of acquiring food was concerned. During this, wild animals were hunted and fish and birds were caught. Other than this fruits, roots, nuts, seeds, leaves, stalks and eggs were collected by them for eating. People at that time used to travel from one place to another. The reasons for travelling are given below:

i. The resource was limited to one particular place. when the resources were exhausted then they used to move to another place.

ii. Mostly they were dependent upon other animals. As animals also moved from one place to another for their needs of food, so do human beings.

iii. Water was an important requirement for plants, people and animals in order to survive. The source of water was rivers, lakes and streams. Therefore human beings had to travel long distances in search of water in the dry season.

4. Sources of Information About the Earliest People

i. The archaeologists have found things that resemble weapons and tools used by hunters and gatherers.

ii. Early people made various tools used for hunting and gathering from stones, woods and bones.

iii. Archaeologists have also found some stone tools which tell the lifestyle of the earliest people.

iv. Apart from the above-mentioned tools, some of the stone tools were used to cut down wood. Wood was used to light fire. 

v. Their huts and tools were made up of wood.

vi. Archaeological evidence shows, human beings that time used to live were on the banks of rivers, lakes and streams. 

vii. They used to search for a place where sufficient availability of stones, wood and food was present. 

5. Hunting-Gathering to Herding

A change in the climatic condition in the world around 12,000 years ago made the weather condition warmer than earlier. Grasslands were developed in many parts of the world. The number of animals like deer, goat, sheep and cattle increased due to the increase in grasslands. People by now had learnt about the food habits and breeding seasons of these animals. Fishing was also a very popular activity at that time.

6. Development of Farming and Herding:

Various grain bearing grasses grew naturally on the subcontinent which included mainly wheat, barley and rice. These grains were selected normally by women and children. They also tried to make themselves familiar with the ins and outs of basic farming. In this way the men became farmers. Taming of animals was done by the people. The first animal which was domesticated by men was the dog. Later they started domestication of sheep, goat, and cattle as well. In this way men started herding.

7. Starting of a New Era

After learning to grow food grains, human beings realized the need for storing them as well. The grains were collected and stocked up for both food and seed. Large clay pots, woven baskets or dug pits were used by them for storage. 

Animal products like cows, goats and cattle were nurtured better than they used to give milk and meat as per their requirement. Milk was one of the major sources of food at that time. Plants and animal bones were recovered by the scientists which confirms the settlements of farmers and herders. One of the major sources for archaeologists was the remains of burnt grain. 

Traces of huts and houses were also found by the archaeologists in different parts of the subcontinent.  Cooking hearths were found.

The stone tools belonging to the Neolithic age were different from that of tools of the Palaeolithic age. The tools of the Neolithic age were polished and given an accurate cutting edge. Some tools were made of bones that belonged to the Palaeolithic age.

In the beginning of the Neolithic age, earthen pots were discovered. People used to cook in these earthen pots. They also had leant to weave clothes at that time, like the major clothes that were used by the people of the Neolithic age was cotton. 

Class 6 Social Science History Chapter 2 From Hunting Gathering to Growing Food

From Gathering to Growing Food  Summary

This is an essential chapter for students studying History in class 6 because it brings the importance of migration and how it shaped travel for people. After cavemen, we call the people who inhabited earth at the time as hunters and gatherers. The people then were named so because of their wild hunting habits where they would hunt for wild animals, fishes, birds, nuts, fruits etc. These people couldn't stay in one place because they would exhaust all the resources available in the land after a certain period. Now also to hunt animals that would be on the move always was another reason for them to move around often. At the time getting fresh water was also a problem so they would be on the search always and trying not to exhaust the water of one place either.

How Do We Know About Their Existence?

Archaeologists have found the various tools that they used, which were made of wood, stone and bone which stood the stand of time. These tools were used for hunting purposes, chopping up the meat, making clothes out of animal fur and chop plants. These resources were found mostly in places near water bodies and caves because these areas had more stone for them to make tools out off. Traces of ash have also been discovered proving that they discovered fire and probably used it to scare away animals, for heat and to cook their food.

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Beginning of Farming and Herding 

According to a study, there was a substantial climatic change in the world, and this had created a lot of grasslands around the entire world. So this, in turn, created a phenomenon where several animals were able to survive off the grasslands. So this is when people started to consider herding and farming. 

Farming started when people discovered all the crops that could be grown on these lands, such as wheat, barley and rice, and all these crops led to farming. The first animal to be appropriately tamed was a dog, and it was used to take care of the cattle. People started taking in different animals such as sheep, goats and cows to herd and rear.

A Settled Life 

Archaeologists have found different types of huts and various houses in these places that show these people have had a sedentary life. Cooking Hearths were discovered both inside and outside the house, and archaeologists assume that they would cook wherever based on the weather condition. The tools found were excellent cut and well-polished which were made for people to hunt down animals and also for cutting up things. Different types of cooking utensils were also found like earthen pots which must have been kept for storing items or also as a decorative item.

Mehrgarh 

This was one of the first places where people started to farm and grow crops on a proper scale. Different animals were also reared for the first time. Crops like barley and rice; animals grew were goats and sheep. Here people used to carry out rituals for people who died, and they used to bury goats with them. Lots of burial sites have been found at this place. The houses found here were in cubical shapes.