6.Chapter 9.Studying the Past.History.

Chapter 9

Life of Early Man

We do not know the exact place of the origin of mankind.  However, evidences that the human species may have developed in Africa as this area has favorable climatic conditions for the evolution of human life, it is believed that later on the human species may have wandered to Asia, Europe and America.  Your information about the life of the early man is based on the remains of objects, fossils and tools that have been excavated from different parts of the world by the archaeologists.  Most of the tools are made up of stone the period when the Do You Know?  stone tools were used as known as the Stone Age, it is divided into three main phases: Palaeolithic Age or Old Stone Age Mesolithic Age or Middle Stone Age Neolithic Age or New Stone Age do Fossils are the remains or impressions of dead plants, animals and  human beings embedded in rocks.  Hurrahim Mehrgarh Chirand Koldiliwa Dacali lading AFRETKA Mahagara NA Bingkamper Arabian Sea Karnatate Jose Chandell Bay of Bengal HUNSGT KURNOOL.  GAVER Hally • Brahimagini INDEX Paiyampalli Ahlulini Sites Meetitie Bites Neolithic tits Adicuntur Lakshadweep.  Archaeological Sites of Stone Age 76

digging, the tools PALAEOLITHIC AGE palaeo means 'old' and lithic means 'stone' (The Palaeolithic man prepared stone tools to defend himself from wild animals. He also used them for hunting animals, chopping meat, cutting wood and were known as core and  The core tools were made from large stones by sharpening the edges. The flake tools were formed when flake (braken pieces) of stone struck off from a large piece of stone. These tools were crude and unpolished The man of this is period,  was foodhunter and gatheringle who moved from one place to another in search of food) the greatest achievement of man duringur this period was when he accidentally discovered fire by rubbing two stones against each othel fire provided him not only warmth in the cold weather but also safety  from the wild animals.  Moreover, he was able to roast raw food to make it tastier and softer.  Some of the remains of this period have been found in India at Bhimbetka, Hunsgi and Kurnool.  WARM Early man making tools Do You Know?  Early man used to live in various types of houses like pit - houses, caves and open air sites.  Archaeologists have found pit - houses at Burzahom (present Kashmir region) which were dug into the ground with steps leading into them.  77

MESOLITHIC AGE Meso means 'middle'.  Hence, this age refers to the period between Palaeothic Age and the Neolithic Age.  The tools and implements of this period improved gradually.  Man started using horn and bones in addition to the stone tools.  He learnt to fix small stones to sticks and used them to hun animals.  ) (The man of Mesolithic age started making huts with the branches of trees) He continued to eat a variety of seeds, berries, roots, nuts and fish as his ancestors did) Gradually, the man became a 'food producer and he moved close  to water sources like rivers and lakes.  The beginning of agriculture took place during this period when the man learnt to drop seeds in the soil to grow plants.  He also started taming animals, like cow, goat, sheep and pig, that served his needs.  It is said that dog was the first animal to be tamed by man.  The mesolithic man protected himself from cold and rain with the skins (hides) of animals.  In India the remains of Mesolithic period have been found in Ujjain, Jorwa, Chandoli and Singhampur.  !!!  Mesolithic tools NEOLITHIC AGE Neo means 'new'.  During this period, man prepared new stone tools which were harder ar stronger.  He became a skilled 'tool - maker'.  He started polishing and grinding his tools and weapon 78

Do you know?  The life of Neolithic people was not a constant struggle for survival because they were good hunters.  They learnt to organise hunting and store food for the long winter.  EZ His weapons included stone - axes, knives, spears, harpoons, wooden bows and stone - tipped arrows.  The remains of such tools have been found in different parts of the world.  The places related to the Neolithic age in India are Burzahom, Mehrgarh, Chirand, Daojali Hading, Hallur and Koldihwa.  The Neolithic man started growing grains like rice, wheat, etc.  He regarded earth as his mother and worshipped it.  The Neolithic man believed in life after death.  The dead were buried along with the me change objects, like beads, pots, tools, etc.  , that they used in their life, it was believed that they might need them in another life.  The cultivation of crops and domestication of animals were the important achievements of man of Neolithic Age.  As he did not have to move constantly in search of food, he started leading a 'settled life'.  The settled life gave birth to the institution of family.  Due to the availability of time and opportunity, man developed new skills.  He invented the sickle for cutting crops and grass, ax for cutting trees and grinding stone to grind the grains.  He also learnt the art of knitting and weaving.  He started weaving clothes with wool, vel and jute.  He carved little statues from ivory and bone.  Settled life also initiated religious practices.  The most notable invention of Neolithic man was the invention of wheel.  People used the wheel for making sledges and chariots.  They also used the wheel for other activities like spinning and pottery, less Invention of Wheel

hand - made pots were dried in the sun and used.  Later on, he learnt to bake the clay pots.  Baking the man of Neolithic age was responsible for developing the first pottery.  In the beginning, the haiche Bachelbes amado Airowend Loing tool on fire gave lustre, strength and durability to the pots.  They were decorated with carvings of flowers, leaves, etc.  humb held grinder It may have been during the baking of the clay pots in kilns that man discovered that metal is produced when some ore melts.  It is believed that copper was the first metal to be discovered by man.  Hence, the Stone Age came to an end and the hammer heads broken piece Metal Age began when man started using copper tools in addition to the stone tools and implements.  This period is known as Chalcolithic period (Chalco means 'copper'), you will be surprised to know that up to this period, the events and the stone tools were similar in all parts of the world.  But the use of Neolithic tool and pottery metals revolutionized the process of the evolution of human society.  Differences in the speed and level of development were noticed in different parts of the world.  Thus, the Neolithic Period was a step towards the development of civilisation.  Keywords bake: to cook or strengthen by heat.  core: central part of something, domestication trained to live or work for humans.  flake: very thin piece.  lustre: soft glow.  80