CBSE Class 6 History Chapter 2 Notes — From Hunting-Gathering to Growing Food

The Hunter-Gatherers

The earliest people were hunter-gatherers:

• They hunted wild animals and caught fish.
• They gathered fruits, roots, leaves, eggs and honey.
• They moved from place to place — they were nomadic.

Why Did They Move?

• To follow animals for hunting.
• To find seasonal fruits and plants.
• To search for water.
• Because plants and animals were not found in one place all year.

Making and Using Tools

• Early people made stone tools (often flint) that were sharp.
• Tools were used to cut meat and roots, scrape bark, and as weapons for hunting.

Fire

• Early people discovered fire, probably by rubbing stones or from lightning.
• Fire was used to:
• cook food,
• give light and warmth,
• scare away wild animals,
• clear the forest for fresh grass.

Rock Paintings

• Early people painted on the walls and roofs of caves and rock shelters.
• The famous Bhimbetka rock paintings (Madhya Pradesh) show hunting, animals, dancing and gathering.
• These paintings tell us how early people lived and what they saw.

From Hunting to Herding

• People began to tame (domesticate) animals — first the dog, then sheep, goat and cattle.
• Tamed animals gave a steady supply of milk, meat and wool, so people did not have to hunt all the time.
• This is the beginning of herding.

From Gathering to Growing Food

• People noticed that seeds grow into plants, so they began to sow seeds and grow crops.
• The first crops grown were wheat, barley, rice and later others.
• Women probably played a big part in starting farming, since they gathered plants and knew their seasons.
• With farming, people could produce their own food and settle in one place.

Mehrgarh — An Early Village

• Mehrgarh (now in Pakistan) is one of the earliest known villages where people farmed and herded, about 8000 years ago.
• People grew wheat and barley and kept sheep and goats.

Key Vocabulary

Exam Tips

• Early people were nomadic hunter-gatherers who moved for animals, plants, and water — a standard short answer.
• Four uses of fire — cook, light/warmth, scare animals, clear forest — is a favourite 2-mark question.
• The shift to farming + herding let people settle in villages; Mehrgarh (~8000 years ago) is the example to name.
• Bhimbetka rock paintings show hunting and animals — a common 1-mark identification.
• People first domesticated the dog, then sheep, goat, cattle.