Timeline and Sources of History Class 6 Notes

Timeline and Sources of History Class 6 Notes

Timeline and Sources of History Class 6 Notes

Understanding Earth’s Past Through Science

1. Earth’s history is extensive, with humans occupying only a small part.
2. Geologists study Earth’s physical features like soil, stones, mountains, rivers, seas, and oceans.
3. Palaeontologists study remains of plants, animals, and humans from millions of years ago in fossils.
4. Anthropologists study human societies and cultures from ancient times to the present.
5. Archaeologists study the past by digging up remains of people, plants, and animals, including tools, pots, beads, figurines, toys, bones, burnt grains, parts of houses, and bricks.

Time Measurement in History

1. Different societies and cultures have unique methods of measuring time.
2. Major events like births or ruler’s reigns often mark the start of a new era.
3. The Gregorian calendar is widely used worldwide, alongside Hindu, Muslim, Jewish, Chinese, and other calendars.
4. In the West, the conventional year for Jesus Christ’s birth is the starting point for this calendar.
5. Years are counted forward from this point, marked with ‘AD’ (after Jesus’ birth), now known as the Common Era (CE).
6. Years before Jesus’ birth are counted backward, marked with BC (Before Christ), now called BCE.

History and Timelines

1. Timelines are useful tools for marking historical events, showing a sequence of dates and events. They help understand the order of historical events.
2. Century : Any period of 100 years, counted every 100 years starting from the year 1 CE.
3. Millennium : Any period of 1,000 years, counted every 1,000 years from the year 1 CE.
4. The 3rd millennium CE, which began in 2001 CE and will go up to 3000 CE, is currently running.
5. Panchanga : A book of tables listing the days of each month along with related astronomical data.
6. They also provide weather predictions, festival dates and timings, and more.

Historical Sources and Reconstruction

1. Historical events are likened to jigsaw puzzle pieces, with many missing pieces.
2. Historians gather information from various sources to reconstruct the history of a period.
3. Sources may provide contradictory information, necessitating the choice of more reliable sources.
4. Contributors include historians, archaeologists, epigraphists, anthropologists, literature and language experts, and scientific studies.
5. Recent scientific studies have provided fresh insights, such as studies of ancient climates, chemical studies of excavated materials, and genetics of ancient people.
6. Newspapers and electronic media are also used when studying recent history.

Early Human History

1. Early humans lived in groups, seeking shelter and food.
2. They were hunters and gatherers, relying on edible plants and fruits.
3. Early humans had beliefs about natural elements and possibly an afterlife.
4. They communicated using lost languages and used fire.
5. They developed tools like stone axes, blades, and arrowheads.
6. Rock paintings from these early humans depict scenes with animals or humans.
7. They learned to make simple ornaments like beads and pendants, and exchanged them with other groups.

The Evolution of Human Life and Agriculture

1. The Earth’s climate has undergone numerous changes, leading to ‘Ice Ages’ and ‘Ice Ages’.
2. The last Ice Age lasted from over 100,000 years ago to around 12,000 years ago.
3. Humans settled down and started cultivating cereals, grains, and domesticated animals.
4. Communities grew in size and number due to increased food availability and fertile soil.
5. As communities grew, social complexity increased, with leaders responsible for the well¬being of the people.
6. As hamlets grew into villages, they exchanged goods like food, clothing, and tools.
7. Communication networks were established, and some villages grew into small towns.
8. New technologies like pottery and metal use emerged, aiding in the creation of durable tools and ornaments.
9. This stage prepared for the emergence of ‘civilisation’. 

IMPORTANT TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1. History: The study of past events.

2. Sources of History : A place, person, text or an object from which we gather information about some past event or period.

3. Timeline : A timeline is a convenient tool to mark such events, as it shows a sequence of dates and events covering any particular period.

4. Century : A period of 100 years. In historical contexts, centuries are counted starting from the year 1 CE.

5. Chronology : The arrangement of events in the order of their occurrence, which is essential for understanding historical developments.

6. Archaeology : Archaeologists study the past by digging up remains that people, plants and animals left behind, such as tools, pots, beads, figurines, toys, bones and teeth of animals and humans, burnt grains, parts of houses or bricks, among others.

7. Historians : Individuals who study and write about the past.

8. Epigraphist: A specialist who studies ancient inscriptions.

9. Anthropologist : Palaeontologists study the remains of plants, animals and humans from millions of years ago in the form of fossils.

10. Genetics : The branch of biology that studies how in plants, animals or humans, certain features and characteristics get passed down from one generation to the next.

11. Artifacts : A usually simple object (such as tool or ornament) showing human workman-ship or modification as a distinguished from a natural object.

12. Oral Tradition or Folklore : The practice of passing down stories, histories, and cultural knowledge verbally from one generation to another.

13. Excavation : The act of archaeologists to uncover by digging away cover earth is called excavation.

14. Cultural Heritage : The various tacts, skills, knowledge, art object etc. which have cultural importance are called cultural heritage.

15. Monuments : A building, statue or other structure usually made of stone, which is build to remind people of an event.

16. Manuscripts : In history, manuscript means a hand written composition on any material.

17. Inscriptions : Written records carved or engraved on durable materials.