Chapter 4 Class 6 Social Science Solutions NCERT,
Timeline and Sources of History chapter 4 class 6 social science,
Class 6 Social Science Chapterwise Complete Solutions,
Summary of Chapter:
The Earth is very, very old, and humans have lived on it for only a small part of its long history.
Scientists have made a timeline to show how life slowly changed and grew on Earth — from tiny living cells to plants, animals, and finally, humans like us!
Here is how life on Earth began and changed over time:
- 4.5 billion years ago – The Earth was formed.
- 3.8 billion years ago – The first cells appeared.
- 2.33 billion years ago – Oxygen began to form in the air.
- 1 billion years ago – Bacteria lived on Earth.
- 800 million years ago – Sponges and fungi appeared.
- 700 million years ago – Corals started growing in the seas.
- 480 million years ago – The first fish with backbones appeared.
- 400 million years ago – Insects and amphibians came to life.
- 380 million years ago – Sharks started living in the oceans.
- 320 million years ago – Reptiles and dinosaurs appeared.
- 180 million years ago – The first birds were born.
- 160 million years ago – The first mammals appeared.
- 100 million years ago – Flowers and bees came into existence.
- 3 lakh (300,000) years ago – Humans (Homo sapiens) appeared.
- 6,500 years ago – People started writing.
To understand the Earth’s past and how life developed, different experts study various clues left behind over millions of years:
Geologists - study the Earth’s physical features, like rocks, mountains, rivers, and oceans, to understand how the planet has changed over time.
Palaeontologists - study fossils, which are the preserved remains of ancient plants, animals, and humans, to learn about life forms that existed long ago.
Anthropologists – study human societies and cultures, from ancient times to the present, to understand human development and behaviour.
Archaeologists – uncover and study objects and remains such as tools, pottery, beads, bones, bricks, and other artefacts to learn about the daily lives and activities of people from the past.
How is Time Measured in History?
Today, the Gregorian calendar is used around the world. Alongside it, many people still follow their traditional calendars — such as the Hindu, Muslim, Jewish, and Chinese calendars — especially for festivals and special occasions.
In the Gregorian calendar, the birth of Jesus Christ is used as the central point for counting years:
Years after Jesus’ birth are called AD (Anno Domini) or CE (Common Era).
Example: 1947 CE — the year India became independent.
Years before Jesus’ birth are called BC (Before Christ) or BCE (Before Common Era).
Example: 560 BCE — the approximate birth year of Gautama Buddha.
The following are some important events in human history:
40000 BCE: First Examples of rock art in the world
12000 BCE: End of the last ice age
8000 BCE: First settlements and the beginning of agriculture
6000 BCE: Pottery technology in Indian Subcontinent
4600 BCE: The world’s first cities in Mesopotamia
4200 BCE: Beginning of copper metallurgy
2500 BCE: Indus-Sarasvatī civilisation
560 BCE: birth year of Gautama Buddha
What Are the Sources of History?
The main sources of history are:
1. Archaeological Sources – These include old monuments and mounds that show how people built and lived in ancient times.
2. Excavations – When scientists dig into the ground, they find human, animal, and plant remains, tools, weapons, pots, toys, figurines, and even old houses or burials.
3. Artistic Sources – Beautiful paintings, sculptures, and carved panels tell us about art, clothing, and traditions of old times.
4. Inscriptions – These are writings on stones, copper plates, coins, or manuscripts that give important information about kings, events, and laws.
5. Oral Sources – Stories, songs, and folktales passed from one generation to another help us know about people’s beliefs and customs.
6. Indian Literature – Ancient books like the Vedas, Ramayana, Mahabharata, poems, plays, and scientific texts tell us about early Indian life, culture, and knowledge.
7. Foreign Accounts – Travelers and historians from other countries wrote travel stories and records about India, helping us learn how our country looked through their eyes.
The Beginnings of Human History
1. Early Humans (Homo sapiens):
Modern humans have lived on Earth for about 3 lakh (300,000) years, which is only a small part of Earth’s long history.
2. Life of Early Humans:
They lived in groups or bands to help and protect each other.
They were hunters and gatherers, depending on animals, fruits, and plants for food.
They made simple stone tools like axes, blades, and arrowheads.
They used fire and lived in caves or rock shelters.
They painted on rocks and cave walls and made ornaments using stones, shells, or animal teeth.
3. The First Crops and Farming:
Around 12,000 years ago, the Ice Age ended and the Earth became warmer.
People started growing crops like cereals and grains and domesticated animals such as goats and cattle.
They began to settle near rivers because the soil was fertile and water was easily available.
4. Life in Early Villages:
People worked together for the community’s welfare under the guidance of chieftains.
Land and resources were shared by everyone.
Villages began to trade goods like food, clothes, and tools.
Over time, villages grew into towns, and people developed new technologies like pottery and metal tools (first copper, later iron).
The Big Questions:
1. How do we measure historical time?
Answer.
Historical time is measured in different ways so that we can understand when past events took place. The main methods include:
a) BCE and CE:
BCE (Before Common Era) refers to the years before the birth of Jesus Christ.
CE (Common Era) refers to the years after his birth.
Example: 300 BCE happened before 100 CE.
b) Centuries:
A century means 100 years.
The 1st century CE includes the years 1–100 CE.
The 20th century CE includes the years 1901–2000 CE.
c) Using “Years Ago”
For very ancient events, historians often say “years ago” because exact dates were not recorded.
Example: “Early humans lived about 12,000 years ago.”
d) Timelines
Historians use timelines to show events in the order in which they happened.
These methods help us compare events, understand the sequence of history, and study how life changed over time.
2. How can various sources help us understand history?
Answer.
We learn about the past through various historical sources, each providing unique insights. They help historians act like detectives and piece together the story of the past.
a) Archaeological Sources:
These include monuments, old buildings, and ancient mounds.
They tell us how people lived, what tools they used, and how they built houses.
b) Excavations:
Excavations give us human and animal bones, tools, weapons, pots, toys, and ornaments.
They help us know about early food habits, burial customs, and everyday life.
c) Artistic Sources:
Paintings, carvings, and sculptures show us clothing styles, festivals, dances, and important events of the time.
d) Inscriptions:
Inscriptions carved on stone, metal, or copper plates tell us about kings, victories, taxes, and laws.
e) Manuscripts and Coins:
Old books and coins give us information about trade, languages, beliefs, and rulers.
f) Oral Sources:
Folktales, songs, and stories passed from generation to generation tell us about local heroes, traditions, and culture.
g) Literary Sources:
Ancient texts like the Vedas, epics, poems, plays, and scientific works give details about religion, society, and knowledge systems.
Each source adds a piece to the puzzle of history. Together, they help us build a complete picture of how people lived long ago.
3. How did early humans live?
Answer.
Early humans lived very differently from us today. Their lives were simple but full of challenges.
a) Food:
They were hunter-gatherers.
They hunted animals, caught fish, and collected fruits, nuts, seeds, and roots.
They moved from place to place in search of food.
b) Shelter:
Early humans lived in caves, rock shelters, and temporary camps made from branches and leaves.
c) Tools:
They made tools from stones and bones, such as:
- Stone axes
- Knives
- Blades
- Arrowheads
These tools helped them hunt animals and protect themselves.
d) Clothing & Art:
They made simple ornaments from stones, shells, and animal teeth.
They painted animals and hunting scenes on cave walls.
e) Social Life
They lived in small groups or bands for safety.
They shared food and worked together.
They had beliefs about nature and possibly life after death.
f) Beginning of Agriculture
Around 12,000 years ago, the climate became warmer.
Early humans began to grow crops and domesticate animals.
They started living in one place, forming villages.
This shift from hunting to farming changed human life forever and laid the foundation for settlements, technology, and civilization.
Questions, activities, and projects
1. As a project, write the history of your family (or village if you live in one), using sources of history at your disposal. Ask your teacher to guide you.
Answer.
We can write about our family’s history or the village’s past using sources like:
1. Old photographs and documents (birth certificates, letters, diaries).
2. Stories told by elders (oral history).
3. Objects and tools used long ago (artifacts).
4. Old buildings or temples (archaeological sources).
2. Can we compare historians to detectives? Give reasons for your answers
Answer.
Yes, we can compare historians to detectives because the way both work is quite similar. They share the following similarities:
1. Search for Evidence:
Just as detectives collect clues and evidence to get to the bottom of an incident, historians also gather information from various sources (such as inscriptions, documents, and remains) to understand the past.
2. Doubt and Verification from Multiple Sources:
Like detectives, historians do not blindly trust a single source. They confirm information by checking many different sources.
3. Analysis and Careful Examination of Truth:
Detectives match different clues to reach the truth. Similarly, historians compare information from various sources to create a consistent and reliable historical account.
Therefore, the working methods and way of thinking of historians are quite similar to those of detectives.
3. A few exercises with dates:
a) Place these dates chronologically on the timeline: 323 CE,
323 BCE, 100 CE, 100 BCE, 1900 BCE, 1090 CE, 2024 CE.
b) If King Chandragupta was born in 320 CE, which century
did he belong to? And how many years was that after the
Buddha’s birth?
c) Rani of Jhansi was born in 1828. Which century did
she belong to? How many years was that before India’s
Independence?
d)Turn ‘12,000 years ago’ into a date.
Answer.
(a) Chronologically on the timeline (oldest to newest) are:
1900 BCE → 323 BCE → 100 BCE → 100 CE → 323 CE → 1090 CE → 2024 CE
(b) If King Chandragupta was born in 320 CE:
He belonged to the 4th century CE.
Gautama Buddha was born around 560 BCE, so Chandragupta was born about 880 years after Buddha’s birth.
(c) Rani of Jhansi (born 1828):
She belonged to the 19th century CE.
India got independence in 1947, so it was born 119 years before Independence.
(d) “12,000 years ago” means:
If we count from the year 2025,
2025 - 12,000 = about 10,000 BCE.
4. Plan a visit to a nearby museum: the visit should be prepared with some prior research on the kind of exhibits the museum holds. Keep notes during the visit. Write a brief report afterwards, highlighting what was unexpected/interesting/ fun about the visit and the exhibits
Answer.
Visit to a Museum (Example Report)
Before the visit:
We read that the museum had ancient tools, coins, paintings, and fossils.
During the visit:
We saw old pottery, swords, and jewelry from different time periods.
A guide explained how each item helped people in their daily lives.
After the visit:
It was fun and interesting to see real objects from history.
The most surprising part was seeing a 2,000-year-old coin and stone tools made by early humans.
5. Invite to your school an archaeologist or a historian and ask them to speak on the history of your region and why it’s important to know it.
Answer.
Do yourself
Chapter-Wise Solutions of Class 6 Social Science
- Chapter 1 | Locating Places on Earth
- Chapter 2 | Oceans and Continents
- Chapter 3 | Landforms and Life
- Chapter 4 | Timeline and Sources of History
- Chapter 5 | India, That Is Bharat
- Chapter 6 | The Beginnings of Indian Civilisation
- Chapter 7 | India’s Cultural Roots
- Chapter 8 | Unity in Diversity, or ‘Many in the One’
- Chapter 9 | Family and Community
- Chapter 10 | Grassroots Democracy – Part 1 Governance
- Chapter 11 | Grassroots Democracy – Part 2 Local Government in Rural Areas
- Chapter 12 | Grassroots Democracy – Part 3 Local Government in Urban Areas
- Chapter 13 | The Value of Work
- Chapter 14 | Economic Activities Around Us
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