Timeline and Sources of History Class 6 Question Answer Social Science Chapter 4
NCERT Class 6 Social Science SST Chapter 4 Timeline and Sources of History Questions and Answers Solutions
Timeline and Sources of History Class 6 Questions and Answers (InText)
Think About It (Page 60)
Question 1.
What is the earliest memory you can recollect? Do you remember how old you were at that time? Those memories together are a part of your past, maybe going five or six years back.
Answer:
Do it yourself
Question 2.
How do you think understanding the past will help us understand the present world?
Answer:
We can understand the present world by understanding the past in following ways
- We can understand why people choose to live in particular areas earlier and how those choices are still relevant in the present time.
- We can learn about the political system of the past and compare it with today’s political system.
Let’s Explore (Page 63)
Question 3.
Such calculations are simple, but there is a catch. In the Gregorian calendar, there is no ‘year zero’. The year 1 CE follows immediately the year 1 BCE. Draw a simple timeline marking every year from 2 BCE to 2 CE ; you will see that because of the absence of a year zero, only 3 years have passed between those two dates.
Answer:
2 BCE → 1 BCE → 1 CE → 2 → CE
Question 4.
So to calculate the number of years between a BCE date and a CE date, you should add them but
subtract 1 – in the above case, 2 + 2 – 1 = 3.
Practice a few examples with your classmates. For example, to return to the question about the Buddha, suppose we are now in the year 2024 CE , then the Buddha was born 560 + 2024 – 1 = 2,583 years ago. (Page no. 63)
Answer:
Some examples are as follows:
(i) From 100 BCE to 2024 CE :
100 + 2024 – 1 = 2123 years
(ii) From 500 BCE to 1000 CE :
500 + 1000 – 1 = 1499 years
(iii) From 250 BCE to 750 CE :
250 + 750 – 1 = 999 years
(iv) From 50 BCE to 2024 CE :
50 + 2024 – 1 = 2073 years
(v) From 300 BCE to 300 CE :
300 + 300 – 1 = 599 years
Let’s Explore (Page 65)
Think About It (Page 67)
Question 6.
Have you ever seen old coins, books, clothes, jewellery or utensils in and around your house? What type of information can we gain from such objects? Or from old houses or buildings?
Answer:
Objects like old coins, books, clothes, jewellery or utensils, old houses or buildings, give information about the past, the clothes people used to wear, and what kind of utensils they used. They all are archeological sources of history.
Let’s Explore (Page 68)
Question 7.
There are a few images of different sources of history. What do you think the objects represent? Write down in the boxes next to the images any information that you get from these objects.

Answer:
1. Coins They are archaeological sources of history. The engravings on the coins offer information about the identity of the authority which issued them.
2. Sculpture They are an artistic source of history. This image looks like a sculpture from a temple wall. They give information about the faiths and beliefs by the people in the past.
3. Emblem It is also an archaeological source of history. It is part of Sarnath’s pillar engraved by the king Ashoka in the past. It is the source of information about the rules and regulations passed by the king.
Let’s Explore (Page 70)
Question 8.
In the above picture, look at some activities of early humans in a rock shelter. Which ones can you recognise? Give a brief description for each.
Answer:
In the picture, many activities of early humans in a rock shelter can be recognised, a few of which are:

- Some early humans are seen drawing some figures on the walls of the cave. These drawings likely represent their daily lives, beliefs, culture, or surroundings, serving as an early form of communication and expression.
- Others are burning a fire, possibly to keep themselves warm or to cook their food. Fire was essential for survival, providing warmth, light, and a means to prepare food.
- Another group is engaged in making tools using stones. These tools were used for hunting and gathering food.
- One group is even collecting beads, using which they are making ornaments for themselves.
(Based on your observation, you can add other points also.)
Let’s Explore (Page 71)
Question 9.
Observe the scene on the next page. It depicts an agricultural community from a few millenniums ago. List the main activities you can identify. (Page 71)

Answer:
An agricultural community from a few millennia ago would have engaged in a variety of activities essential for their survival and livelihood. Here are some main activities we can identify:
- Farming: Crop Cultivation, Irrigation and ploughing:
- Animal Husbandry, Raising Livestock, Milking and Shearing and Herding.
- Food Processing and Storage: Threshing and Winnowing, Grinding and Storage.
- Tool and Equipment Making: Crafting Agricultural Tools and Repairing Equipment.
- Construction and Maintenance: Building Homes and Structures and Fence Building.
- Trade and Barter: Exchanging Goods: Trading surplus crops, livestock, and crafted items with neighboring communities for goods they lacked.
- Community and Ritual Activities: Festivals and Rituals and Social Gatherings.
- Environmental Management: Land Management and Water Management.
These activities collectively depict a well-rounded picture of an agricultural community’s daily life, centered around farming and animal husbandry, with an interconnected web of tasks necessary for sustaining their way of life.
Think About It (Page 72)
Question 10.
Both in this earlier picture of a rock shelter and in this one men and women are given certain roles. While they may appear to be ‘natural’, they are not necessarily correct and do not cover all situations. For instance, in a rock shelter, women may have helped prepare colours for painting the rock or may have done some of the painting. In both scenes, men may have done some of the cooking or may have helped take care of children. Keeping in mind that we have only limited information, think about such roles and situations, and discuss in class.

Answer:
The various roles of men and women that can be observed from the above given images are as follows
| Men | Women |
| Men used to do hunting | Women used to do gathering |
| Men used to do control the fire | Women used to cook the food |
| Men used to rear the sheep | Women used to harvest the crops |
There can be many more combinations of activities that were performed by the men and women. There is no clear division of activities between the men and women.
Class 6 SST Timeline and Sources of History Question Answer (Exercise)
Question 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:
Do it yourself (Hint: Write about the birth place of your grandparents, their job, then your parents birth place, their education and their jobs)
Question 2.
Can we compare historians to detectives? Give reasons for your answers.
Answer:
Yes, historians can be compared to detectives for several reasons. Some of them are as follows
(a) Investigation of Evidence Just like detectives gather evidence to solve a case, historians collect and examine various sources of information such as documents, utensils and coins to understand the past.
(b) Analysis and Interpretation Detectives analyse the evidence to piece together a narrative of what happened. Similarly, historians analyse historical data to interpret events, understand causes and effects, and construct coherent narratives about past events.
(c) Use of Multiple Sources Detectives use multiple sources of information, such as witness statements, forensic evidence and surveillance footage, to build a case. Historians also use a variety of sources, including written records, archaeological findings, oral histories and more, to piece together historical narratives.
Question 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 and 2024 CE.
Answer:

(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?
Answer:
If king Chandragupta was born in 320 CE he would belong to the 4 th century. This event will be after 879 (560+320-1) years of the Buddha’s birth.
(c) Ranl of Jhansi was born in 1828. Which century did she belong to? How many years was that before India’s Independence?
Answer:
Rani of Jhansi belonged to the 19th century as she was born in 1828 . This event was 119 years before the independence of India.
(d) Turn ‘12,000 years ago’ into a date.
Answer:
‘12,000 years ago’ into date is approximately 10,000 BCE.
Question 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:
Do it yourself
Question 5.
Invite to your school an archaeologist or a historian and ask them to speak on the history of your region and why it is important to know it.
Answer:
Do it yourself