After leading a nomadic life for thousands of years, humans gradually began to settle down to live in one place. This process started about 10,000 years ago, during the new stone Age. Many new developments during this time changed the course of life of the early humans.
Humans produce food
We do not know how humans came upon the idea of cultivating crops. Seeds thrown away carelessly might have sprouted and suggested to them the link between seeds and plants.
The first cereals to be grown were wheat and barely. Over a period of time, humans started cultivating more food crops. Sickles hace been found at many Neolithic sites. They might have been used to harvest crops. Thus, from food-gathering, humans became food-producers.
Agriculture changed the life of early humans. Their lives were settled they did not have to go from one place to another in search of food. They stayed made mud house near the fields. They cultivated fields, hunted animals and made tools and weapons.
The shift from gathering food to growing it was a major event. It is, however, important to understand that such changes did not happen in the course of a few years. Humans adopted and perfected farming over several thousand years. Also, they continued to hunt animals and gather food even after they started cultivating crops.
Humans domesticate animals
Besides cultivating crops, early humans also started domesticating animals. They tamed animals such as dogs, pigs, goats, sheep, cattle, horses and donkeys. Goats and cattle provided milk. Sheep provided wool. The horse and the donkey were tamped to carry burden. Animals were also a source of meat.
Think answer:
how do you think early humans tamped animals.
 |
| Early humans made pots on the potters wheel. |
Humans invent the wheel
The invention of the wheel was an important step towards progress. We do not know how the idea of the wheel occurred to early humans.
Possibly, a log or a stone rolling downwards sparked this idea.
The wheel changed people's lives in many ways. They could now go from one place to another much faster than before. They could also move heavy objects more easily. The wheel also improved pottery -making. The potter's wheel came to be used during this period.
 |
| A prehistoric painting on a cave wall |
Humans make pottery
Vessels were needed to store grains, Liquids and cooked food and needed to be capable of withstanding heat as well. Humans learned to make clay pottery, which was shaped by hand, and then baked in a fire. The Potter's wheel enabled them to make pots of different shapes and sizes in much lesser time. Later, they started glazing and decorating the pots.
Archaeological evidences
Archaeologists have found many evidences of existence of early farmers. Charred grains and seeds of wheat, barely and many kinds of lentils have been found from Burzahom ( in jammu & Kashmir ) Mehrgarh and other sites.
Pit-houses
Many pit-house have been found at Burzahom. People used stone tools to dig circular pits into the ground. They them plastered their sides with mud. Thses pits were usually narrow at the top and wide at the base. The pits that were deep had steps that led down. Ash, charocoal and pieces of pottery have been found in these pits. Some of the pits had ovens made of stone or clay. These ovens may have been used to cook food. Perhaps people lived in these pit-houses when the weather was cold.
Pottery
Hand-made as well as wheel-made pots have been discovered from many sites. Thses were of different shapes and sizes. Some of them were decorated. The pots may have been used as cooking vessels and to store grain.
Tools
Tools made of stone, bones and horns of animals have been found. Stone tools have been found in maximum numbers. They include hand-axes, scrapers, borers, cleavers etc. Most of them were polished. The bone tools include harpoons for finishing, needles for sewing, and arrowheads, spearheads and daggers for hunting.
Think and answer:
why do you think early humans made sewing needles from animal bones and not from stone?
Burials
Remains of both humans and animal burials have been found. In Burzahom, bones of dogs, cattle, Goats, sheep, deer and manyOther animals have been found.
Paintings
People continued to paint on cave walls, Rock shelters and slabs of stone. A stone slabs with a hunting scene carved on it has been found at Burzahom. It shows two hunters huntingva deer. One hunter has a long spear and the other has a bow and arrow.
Daily life
Early humans lived in small groups. Each group had a leader. Generally, the eldest or the strongest number of the group was made its leader. Each person of the group was given a specific task. Some looked after animals, others cultivated fields and still others made tools and pots.
Once humans began producing things in surplus, they started exchanging these with other groups. This early from of trade must have taken place through barter. Singing, dancing and painting must have been popular modes of entertainment.
The chalcolithic Age
Around 6,000 years ago, humans started using copper. Along with stone tools, they made tools of copper which were much stronger than those of stone. Since both stone and copper were used, this period is called the Chalcolithic Age, that is, Copper-stone Age. It was a short (4000-2000 BCE ) yer an important period in the life of humans became it marked a change from the use of stones to metals.
The north -west
Mehrgarh (in Pakistan ) is the earliest known farming and pastoral settlement in the indian subcontinent. Perhaps it was here that humans first grew crops and tamped animals. The earliest evidence of settlement here dates to 7000 BCE (about 9,000 years ago). Charred grains and bones of animals have been found here. Archaeologists have divided this stone age site into several periods.
Period 1 (7000 -5500 BCE )
Wheat and barely were perhaps the main crops. Farmers kept cattle, sheep and goats. Bones of all these animals have been found at the site. The houses were simple mud structures, no pottery has been found. Burial sites, however, are many in number. The graves contain objects such as stone axes, ornaments of sea shells, limestone, turquoise, lapis lazuli and sandstone, along with figures of women and animals.
Period 2 (5500-4800 BCE )
Period 3 (4800-3500 BCE )
Pottery makes its appearance in period 2. A lot of evidence of manufacturing activity has also been found. Glazed faience beads were produced. Terracotta figurines were detailed. Figurines of women had different hairstyles and ornaments and were decorated with paint. Burial goods were limited only to ornaments during this period.
The North -East
Evidences of settlements have been found from the north-east states. In the Garo Hills, many sites in places such as Selbagiri, thebrongi, Mismagiri and Rongram alagiri have yielded material remains of the stone Age. In Manipur, stone and bone tools have been found found. A stone axe dating back to this period has been found in Mizoram. It is quite big and thin. In tripura, places such as Teliamura, jirania, Mohanpur, bhishalgarh, and Agartala have yielded stone Age remains. Here, instead of stone , fossil wood, which is locally available, was used to make tools.
Daojali Hading is an important Neolithic site in Assam. Extensive digging at this site has yielded polished stone tools, ceramics and kitchen items such as corn grinders, pestles and mortars. A large number of pots have also been found. All these finds suggest that people here were growing and storing grains and preparing food.
To Sum Up
1. Early humans became food-producers during the new stone age. They also domesticated animals, invented the wheel and began to make pottery.
2. Archaeological evidences of this age include pit-house, pottery, tools, human and animal burials and paintings.
3. Early humans lived in small groups. Bartering surplus goods started early trade.
4. Humans made tools of both stone and copper during the chalcolithic period.
5. Mehrgarh in the north-west and Daojali Hading in the north-east are important prehistoric sites.
After leading a nomadic life for thousands of years, humans gradually began to settle down to live in one place. This process started about 10,000 years ago, during the new stone Age. Many new developments during this time changed the course of life of the early humans.
Humans produce food
We do not know how humans came upon the idea of cultivating crops. Seeds thrown away carelessly might have sprouted and suggested to them the link between seeds and plants.
The first cereals to be grown were wheat and barely. Over a period of time, humans started cultivating more food crops. Sickles hace been found at many Neolithic sites. They might have been used to harvest crops. Thus, from food-gathering, humans became food-producers.
Agriculture changed the life of early humans. Their lives were settled they did not have to go from one place to another in search of food. They stayed made mud house near the fields. They cultivated fields, hunted animals and made tools and weapons.
The shift from gathering food to growing it was a major event. It is, however, important to understand that such changes did not happen in the course of a few years. Humans adopted and perfected farming over several thousand years. Also, they continued to hunt animals and gather food even after they started cultivating crops.
Humans domesticate animals
Besides cultivating crops, early humans also started domesticating animals. They tamed animals such as dogs, pigs, goats, sheep, cattle, horses and donkeys. Goats and cattle provided milk. Sheep provided wool. The horse and the donkey were tamped to carry burden. Animals were also a source of meat.
Think answer:
how do you think early humans tamped animals.
|
| Early humans made pots on the potters wheel. |
Humans invent the wheel
The invention of the wheel was an important step towards progress. We do not know how the idea of the wheel occurred to early humans.
Possibly, a log or a stone rolling downwards sparked this idea.
The wheel changed people's lives in many ways. They could now go from one place to another much faster than before. They could also move heavy objects more easily. The wheel also improved pottery -making. The potter's wheel came to be used during this period.
|
| A prehistoric painting on a cave wall |
Humans make pottery
Vessels were needed to store grains, Liquids and cooked food and needed to be capable of withstanding heat as well. Humans learned to make clay pottery, which was shaped by hand, and then baked in a fire. The Potter's wheel enabled them to make pots of different shapes and sizes in much lesser time. Later, they started glazing and decorating the pots.
Archaeological evidences
Archaeologists have found many evidences of existence of early farmers. Charred grains and seeds of wheat, barely and many kinds of lentils have been found from Burzahom ( in jammu & Kashmir ) Mehrgarh and other sites.
Pit-houses
Many pit-house have been found at Burzahom. People used stone tools to dig circular pits into the ground. They them plastered their sides with mud. Thses pits were usually narrow at the top and wide at the base. The pits that were deep had steps that led down. Ash, charocoal and pieces of pottery have been found in these pits. Some of the pits had ovens made of stone or clay. These ovens may have been used to cook food. Perhaps people lived in these pit-houses when the weather was cold.
Pottery
Hand-made as well as wheel-made pots have been discovered from many sites. Thses were of different shapes and sizes. Some of them were decorated. The pots may have been used as cooking vessels and to store grain.
Tools
Tools made of stone, bones and horns of animals have been found. Stone tools have been found in maximum numbers. They include hand-axes, scrapers, borers, cleavers etc. Most of them were polished. The bone tools include harpoons for finishing, needles for sewing, and arrowheads, spearheads and daggers for hunting.
Think and answer:
why do you think early humans made sewing needles from animal bones and not from stone?
Burials
Remains of both humans and animal burials have been found. In Burzahom, bones of dogs, cattle, Goats, sheep, deer and manyOther animals have been found.
Paintings
People continued to paint on cave walls, Rock shelters and slabs of stone. A stone slabs with a hunting scene carved on it has been found at Burzahom. It shows two hunters huntingva deer. One hunter has a long spear and the other has a bow and arrow.
Daily life
Early humans lived in small groups. Each group had a leader. Generally, the eldest or the strongest number of the group was made its leader. Each person of the group was given a specific task. Some looked after animals, others cultivated fields and still others made tools and pots.
Once humans began producing things in surplus, they started exchanging these with other groups. This early from of trade must have taken place through barter. Singing, dancing and painting must have been popular modes of entertainment.
The chalcolithic Age
Around 6,000 years ago, humans started using copper. Along with stone tools, they made tools of copper which were much stronger than those of stone. Since both stone and copper were used, this period is called the Chalcolithic Age, that is, Copper-stone Age. It was a short (4000-2000 BCE ) yer an important period in the life of humans became it marked a change from the use of stones to metals.
The north -west
Mehrgarh (in Pakistan ) is the earliest known farming and pastoral settlement in the indian subcontinent. Perhaps it was here that humans first grew crops and tamped animals. The earliest evidence of settlement here dates to 7000 BCE (about 9,000 years ago). Charred grains and bones of animals have been found here. Archaeologists have divided this stone age site into several periods.
Period 1 (7000 -5500 BCE )
Wheat and barely were perhaps the main crops. Farmers kept cattle, sheep and goats. Bones of all these animals have been found at the site. The houses were simple mud structures, no pottery has been found. Burial sites, however, are many in number. The graves contain objects such as stone axes, ornaments of sea shells, limestone, turquoise, lapis lazuli and sandstone, along with figures of women and animals.
Period 2 (5500-4800 BCE )
Period 3 (4800-3500 BCE )
Pottery makes its appearance in period 2. A lot of evidence of manufacturing activity has also been found. Glazed faience beads were produced. Terracotta figurines were detailed. Figurines of women had different hairstyles and ornaments and were decorated with paint. Burial goods were limited only to ornaments during this period.
The North -East
Evidences of settlements have been found from the north-east states. In the Garo Hills, many sites in places such as Selbagiri, thebrongi, Mismagiri and Rongram alagiri have yielded material remains of the stone Age. In Manipur, stone and bone tools have been found found. A stone axe dating back to this period has been found in Mizoram. It is quite big and thin. In tripura, places such as Teliamura, jirania, Mohanpur, bhishalgarh, and Agartala have yielded stone Age remains. Here, instead of stone , fossil wood, which is locally available, was used to make tools.
Daojali Hading is an important Neolithic site in Assam. Extensive digging at this site has yielded polished stone tools, ceramics and kitchen items such as corn grinders, pestles and mortars. A large number of pots have also been found. All these finds suggest that people here were growing and storing grains and preparing food.
To Sum Up
1. Early humans became food-producers during the new stone age. They also domesticated animals, invented the wheel and began to make pottery.
2. Archaeological evidences of this age include pit-house, pottery, tools, human and animal burials and paintings.
3. Early humans lived in small groups. Bartering surplus goods started early trade.
4. Humans made tools of both stone and copper during the chalcolithic period.
5. Mehrgarh in the north-west and Daojali Hading in the north-east are important prehistoric sites.
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