The document outlines the transition from hunter-gatherer societies to settled farming in prehistoric times, highlighting key developments such as the domestication of animals and cultivation of crops. It describes various archaeological sites, including Bhimbetka and Burzahom, showcasing early human living conditions, tool-making, and burial practices. The evolution of stone tools and the establishment of permanent settlements mark significant milestones in human history during the Paleolithic and Neolithic periods.

1. VI - HISTORY
2. FROM HUNTING – GATHERING
TO GROWING FOOD

2. HUNTER -
GATHERER
Hunted animals, birds
and caught fish
Gathered food like
nuts, roots, fruits,
seeds leaves,
stalks and eggs
Made tools of stone
wood and bones
Lived near
water sources
like river and
caves

3. Life of hunter gatherers:
In search of food as they would finish
the food in one place
Hunting animals moved from place to
place following these animals
Searching for seasonal plants and
fruits they moved
In search of water they moved
• Seasonal rivers
• Perennialrivers

4. STONE
TOOLS

5. cut meat and
bone, scrape bark (from
trees) and hides
(animal skins),
chop fruit
and roots.
Digging the ground
to collect edible
roots.
Stitching clothes
made out of animal
skin.
These stone tools were used to:

6. Some may have been
attached to handles of
bone or wood, to make
spears and arrows for
hunting.
Other tools were used to
chop wood, which was
used as firewood. Wood
was also used to make
huts and tools.

7. Where they lived:

8. BHIMBETKA – in MP,
an old site with caves
and rock shelters and
is close to Narmada
Valley
They lived in
places where
goodquality
stone was
available
Many sites were located
near the sources of water
like rivers and lakes
Sheltered from–
rain,
heat &
wind
CAVES

9. Discovery of FIRE
Making fire
Protect from cold
Roast food
Scare animals
Get light
Kurnool caves
– ashes found
people
familiar with
fire

10. Paleolithic period
(2 million to 12,000
years) Old Stone
Age longest age
Greek word: paleo
= old lithic = stone
3 periods
* Lower,
* Middle &
* Upper
Mesolithic period (12,000 to
10,000 years) Middle Stone
Age
(microlithic)
major environmental
changes occurred this time.
Neolithic period
(10,000 years ago)
New Stone Age
TIME LINE

11. Beginning of Farming and Herding
Beginning of agriculture
Found grains like wheat
and barley
Observed their growth when
they grew and ripened
Led them to think and
started growing plants

12. Animals
were tamed
DOG – 1st
animal to
be tamed
Attract and
tame animals
to come near
shelters
Sheep, goat,
cattle &
sometimes
pigs lived with
them in herds
These
animals were
protected by
other wild
animals
Beginning of Farming and Herding

13. • Domestication is the name given to the
process in which people grow plants and
look after animals.
• People select plants and animals for
domestication.
Domestication
• That are not prone to disease.
• That yield large-size grain,
• Have strong stalks,
• Capable of bearing the weight of the ripe
grain.
• Seeds from selected plants are preserved
and sown to ensure that new plants (and
seeds) will have the same qualities.
Plants
• That are relatively gentle are selected for
breeding.
• That are not prone to disease.
Animals
Domestication

14. WAYS IN WHICH
GRAIN WASUSED
AS SEED
AS FOOD
AS GIFTS
STOREDFOR FOOD
Grains

15. Storing food in pots
They dug pits to store food.
They wove baskets also for storing grains.
Animals multiply naturally and is an important
source of food, they provide milk, and meat,
whenever required.
As grain had to be stored for both food
and seed, people had to think of ways of
storing it.
Animals are reared and can be used as a
‘store’ of food.

16. Burzoham
Burzahom was the first Neolithic siteto be discoveredin
Kashmir. Burzahom means, place of birch. Burntbirch
found in the excavations showed that birch trees must have
been common in the area in the Stone Age. The earliest
Neolithic homes at Burzahom were pits dug below ground
level usingstone tools.
Birch trees
Pit houses
Pit houses

17. Archaeologists have found traces of huts or houses at some sites. For
instance, in Burzahom (in present-day Kashmir) people built pit-houses,
which were dug into the ground, with steps leading into them. These may
have providedshelterin cold weather.
Archaeologists have also found cooking hearths both insideand outside
the huts, which suggests that, depending on the weather, people could
cook food either indoors or outdoors.
Burzoham

18. You will notice a number of blue squares.
Each marks a site from where archaeologists
have found evidence of early farmers and
herders. These are found all over the
subcontinent. Some of the most important
ones are in the north-west, in present-day
Kashmir, and in east and south India.
Burzoham

19. To find out whether these sites were settlements of farmers and herders,
scientists study evidence of plants and animal bones. One of the most exciting
finds includes remains of burnt grain. (These may have been burnt
accidentally or on purpose).
Scientists can identify these grains, and so we know that a number of crops
were grown in different parts of the subcontinent.They can also identify the
bones of different animals.
Burzoham

20. Stone tools have been found from many sites as well. Many of these are
differentfrom the earlier Palaeolithic tools and that is why they are called
Neolithic. These includetools that were polished to give a fine cutting edge,
and mortars and pestles used for grindinggrain and other plant produce.
Mortars and pestles are used for grinding graineven today, several thousand
years later. At the same time, tools of the Palaeolithic types continuedto be
made and used, and remember, some tools were also made of bone.
Neoloithic tools

21. Peoplebegan
using pots for
cooking food,
grains likerice,
wheat and
lentils (important
diet)
POTS
Decorated
Cooked food
Stored food
Store things
Besides, they began weaving cloth,
using different kinds of materials,
for example cotton, that could
now be grown.
Other Things: Pots

22. Living and dying in Mehrgarh
Location:
a fertile plain,
near the Bolan Pass,
the most important
routes into Iran.
people learnt to grow
barley and wheat, and
rear sheep and goats for the
first time in this area.
It is one of the earliest village. Bones of wild animals
such as the deer and pig,
and also bones of sheep
and goat were found.
Other finds at Mehrgarh include
remains of square or rectangular
houses. Each house had four or more
compartments, some of which may
have been used for storage.

23. ➢When people die, their relatives
and friends generally pay respect to
them.
➢ People look after them, perhaps
in the belief that there is some form
of life after death.
➢Burialis one such arrangement.
Several burial sites have been found
at Mehrgarh.
➢ In one instance, the dead person
was buriedwith goats, which were
probably meant to serve as food in
the next world.
Living and dying in Mehrgarh

24. • The painting is from a cave in France.
• This site was discoveredby four
school childrenmore than a hundred
years ago.
• Paintings likethis were made between
20,000 and 10,000 years ago.
Animals such as:
• wild horses,
• aurochs (an older,
wild form of cattle),
• bison,
• woollyrhinoceros,
• Reindeer
• bear,
These colours were
made from minerals
like
ochre or iron ore, and
charcoalpainted in
bright colours.
• These paintings were done on
ceremonialoccasions.
• or for special rituals, performed
by hunters before they went in
search of prey.
Cave paintings

25. THANK YOU