CHAPTER 1 From the Beginning of Time NCERT SOLUTION CLASS 11TH HISTORY | EDUGROWN NOTES

Short Answer Type Question:

Q1.Discuss the extent to which (a) hunting and (b) constructing shelters would have been facilitated by the use of language. What other modes of communication could have been used for these activities?

ANSWER:

• Hunting and constructing shelters would have been facilitated by the use of language because these two activities are group activities requiring collective labour and cooperation among fellow humans.
• Humans certainly had to communicate with each other during the group activities. Language was vital tool in these group activities.

Other modes of communication:

• Gestures or hand movements, other non-verbal communication such as singing or humming, imitation of movements and sounds of birds and animals, cave paintings and other expressions with signs could have been used for these activities.

Q2.Choose any two developments each from Timelines 1 and 2 at the end of the chapter and indicate why you think these are significant.

ANSWER:  Timeline- 1

2.6-2.5 mya – Earliest stone tools

The earliest evidence for the making and use of stone tools comes from sites in Ethiopia and Kenya. It is likely that the earliest stone tool makers were the Australopithecus. Tools enabled man to become hunter from scavenger, and then, cultivator of his own crops for food.

0.8 mya- ‘Archaic’ sapiens,Homo heidelbergensis

The earliest fossiIs from Europe are of Homo heidelbergensis and Homo neanderthalensis. Both belong to the species of archaic (old) Homo sapiens. The fossils of Homo heidelbergensis (0.8-0.1 mya) have a wide distribution, having been found in Africa, Asia and Europe.

Timeline- 2

Development of voice box -200,000 years ago

The brain of Homo habilis (the tool maker) had certain features which would have made it possible for them to speak. Thus, language may have developed as early as 2 mya. The evolution of the vocal tract was equally important. This occurred around 200,000 years ago. It is more specifically associated with modern humans.

Invention of sewing needles- 21,000 years ago

The trapping of fur-bearing animals (to use the fur for clothing) and the invention of sewing needles are important developments in human history. Early man had used grass, leaves, tree bark, and animal skin to protect his body from harsh weather. The invention of sewing needles made it possible to stitch cloth and make many strong and durable dress materials. Man started experimenting with various types of naturally available fibrous materials such as silk, cotton, wool, jute. This revolutionized his material condition and culture. The earliest evidence of sewn clothing comes from about 21,000 years ago.
Q3/What do you know about Java men? Why did scientists call them “The Erect Ape Men”?
ANSWER: The remains of Java men were first discovered by a Dutch surgeon in Java. It included-a skull, a thigh bone and two teeth. The study of these remains depicts that the Java was half ape and half man. It is because his head (Java man’s head) was set forward of the neck. The Java men were also called “The Erect Ape Men” by the scientists because they could walk erect.
Q4.How did the use of language prove valuable in the construction of shelters?
ANSWER:
The use of language proved helpful in the construction of shelters in following ways:

• People could now secure places about their settlement.
• They became aware about resources available in near surroundings.
• They could discuss the ways of pattern of constructing their shelters.
• They could consider the ways and means to protect their shelters from predators and severe storms..

Q5.What do you know about cave paintings at Altamira?
ANSWER: Altamira is a cave site in Spain. The paintings on the ceiling of the caves were first brought into notice of an amateur archaeologist Marcelino sanz de Sautuola and his daughter Maria in November 1879. Maria suddenly noticed the paintings on ceiling when his father was busy in digging the floor of the cave. She brought these paintings to the notice of his father. At first looking of the picture of oxen, he just laughed, but soon he realised that some sort of paste rather than the paint has been used for painting. Two decades later, his findings were dismissed by European archaeologists on the ground that they did not appear too good to be very old.

Q6.Explain the effects of changing environment around 12,000 years ago.
ANSWER: Around 12,000 years ago, there was a change in the climate of the world. There was an increase in the temperature of their environment. It resulted into the development of grasslands in many regions which in turn led to an increase in the number of animals that ate grass like deer, antelope, goat, sheep, cattle, etc

Q7.Where do we get the earliest evidence of planned hunting? What did it depict?
ANSWER: We get the earliest evidence of planned hunting from European site Dolni Vestonice, Czech Republic. This site is nearby a river and it is believed that it was deliberately used by people. During the autumn and spring seasons reindeer and horse crossed the river and killed or hunted by early human on a large scale. The selection of such site depicted that the people were well aware about the movement of birds and animals and able to kill (hunt) them in large numbers.

Long Answer Type Question:

Q1.Write a description about the origin of human beings.
ANSWER:
The story about the origin of human beings is very long and complicated. Different views in this regard have been given, and still the process of discoveries is going on. The chronological order of the number of events has changed due to new discoveries and excavations made so far. There is plenty of scope left for excavations. The early human passed through several stages of journey to become a modern man. The various stages which throw light on the story of progress made by man from the very beginning to the present days are given below.

• Primates: The early human came into being in Africa and Asia about 36-24 mya. They constitute a sub-group of a large group of mammals, such as monkeys, apes, and the humans. They had hair on their bodies and different kinds of teeth.
•  Hominoids: They came into being about 24 mya. They had four legs and used to move on their four paws. The first portion of their bodies and legs were quite flexible but were unable to walk erect. Their

• body was different from the monkeys because they were comparatively larger and had no tail.
• Hominids: They belonged to hominidae family and came into existence about 5.6 • mya. Their earliest fossils were excavated at Laotoli and Hader (both in Africa). It is a clear evidence that they originated in Africa. Their fossils were also found outside Africa.

Q2.What do you know about early man’s tools and weapons made by them? Which techniques were used to make these tools?
ANSWER:
Early man’s tools and weapons were made of stones. Early man used hard stones known as flint, along with other types of stones for making tools and weapons. Flint was the stone that was used for lighting fire. It was also found that these types of stones can be given desired shape. However, the tools that early man

used were rough and unpolished. We get the earliest evidence for making and use of these stone tools from Ethiopia and Kenya. The Australopithecus were the first to make and use stone tools.
The stone tools were made by using following techniques:

• Stone on Stone: In this technique, the pebble from which the tool was to be made was held in one hand and the second stone was used to strike off flakes from the first.
•  Pressure Flaking: In this technique, the core was placed on a firm surface. The hammer stone was used on a place of bone or stone that was placed on the core to remove flakes that could be shaped into tools.
• The Punch Blade Technique: In this technique, the top of a larger pebble is removed by using hammer stone to produce a flat surface. This flat surface, thus so produced, is called striking platform. This is then struck using a hammer and a punch made of bone. It then leads to the production of blades. It also leads to formation of knives.

“Q3.Undoubtedly the modern man-made tremendous progress since coming into being.” Justify the statement. (HOTS)
ANSWER:
Modern man had several peculiarities which made him different from his predecessors. Modern man is most intelligent in comparison to forefathers on account of the size of his brain. Modern man-made tremendous progress. He began to construct his huts in addition to the caves wherein he dwelled earlier. He started to lead a settled life and began practicing agriculture. Now, he does not wander here and there in search of his food. He acquired knowledge how to cook food and also learnt how to store food grains and consumed it properly. He began to store food grains for his future use or used it when required during the time of natural calamity. He also used much superior tools, which helped him to safeguard himself from the wild predatory more effectively. The invention of needle helped him to wear stitched clothes. The development in the field of art and language made him more superior. So we can conclude that the modern man made great achievements in comparison to his forefathers.

Q4.Discuss in detail about the places of residence of early humans.
ANSWER:

• The early humans lived on the branches of the trees. Between 400,000 and 125,000 years ago, the human beings began to live in caves and open air sites.
• We got the earliest evidence of living in caves from Lazaret cave in southern France. It measured 12 x 4 meters and revealed evidence of two hearths, several fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, eggs of animals and fishes.
• Dwelling in caves proved beneficial for him, as he could now protect himself from the danger of wild animals. Living in caves provided him natural refuge from severe stream and cold.
• The early humans began to live or dwell in huts around 125,000 years ago. It proved a significant step in early human’s journey towards progress.
• We get the most significant evidence of the hut constructed by early humans at Terra Amata in Southern France. It was made up of thatch and its roof was made up of wood Reconstruction of hut at Terra Amata stone-flakes scattered on the floor.

Q5.Who were the first to use tools? How these tools used by early man were categorized?
ANSWER:
Australopithecus were the first to use tools. About 35,000 years ago, we came across the evidence of a remarkable improvement in the method of hunting animals. It became clear from the event that a special type of spear was used to hunt animals.
The tools used by early man can be categorized into three types. They are discussed under following heads:

• Hand-axes: They were used for pouncing. In the beginning, they were used without a handle, but later on wooden handle was attached to it. It was made possible to use them with much force.
• Chopper: They were made of heavy stones worked to a sharp edge in one direction only, and were most probably used for chopping meat.
• Flake implements: They were used as knives and scrapers for finer works. For thousands of years of man’s early history the only remains that we find are crude stone tools. These tools are often found lying along the terraces of rivers, or in the huts or caves where early man used to live and roam in search of wild animals. These tools made by him served many purposes such as skimming of dead animals, cutting their flesh, etc.
  About 35,000 years ago new kinds of tools such as spear throwers, bow and arrow came into being.

Q6.Distinguish between Homo heidelbergensis and Homo neanderthalensis.
ANSWER:

Homo heidelbergensis	Homo neanderthalensis
(i) Their earliest fossils have been excavated from Heidelberg in Germany.	(i) Their earliest fossils have been excavated from Neander valley.
(ii) Their fossils were discovered in 1858.	(ii) Their fossils were excavated first in 1854.
(iii) Their fossils have been traced from Europe, Asia and Africa.	(iii) Their fossils have been traced from several countries across Europe, Western and Central Asia.
(iv) They had comparatively much larger brain, heavier jaws and much heavier limbs and hand.	(iv) They had much larger brain size.
(v) They had thick hair on the body.	(v) They also had similar features.
(vi) They belonged to Homo sapien species.	(vi) They also belonged to Homo sapien species.
(vii) They used to live in caves.	(vii) They used to dwell in caves.
(viii) Their fossils existed from 0.8-0.1 mya.	(viii) They existed from 130,000 to 35,000 years ago.

Q7.How did early man procure his food? Explain.
ANSWER:
The early man procured his food through a number of ways. Some of the ways are listed below:

Gathering: For his food items, early man was totally dependent on nature. He was a pastoralist nomad, who kept on wandering. In the very beginning, he was a food-gatherer. He gathered eatables from trees and plants. The main food items were seeds, nut, fruit, etc. All these food items could be preserved. There is lack of evidence. The prominent role in food-gathering was played by women and children.

Scavenging: The early man also procured his food through scavenging. They used to obtain food from the carcasses of those animals which had died naturally or had been killed by other larger animals. They were used to eat the meat of small birds, eggs and several kinds of insects.

Hunting: To procure food through hunting was also one of the best methods of obtaining food. Hunting was mainly the domain of menfolk. They used to hunt the small animals individually, but in case of the hunting of large animals, group efforts were the key to success. They hunted wild animals such as wild horses, wild buffaloes, rhinoceros, bear, etc. They used spears and tools made of stone to hunt wild animals. We get the earliest evidences of well planned hunting and butchery of large animals from Boxgrove in Southern England and Schoningen in Germany. About 35,000 years ago, there is some evidence of planned hunting that comes from European sites. One such site of planned hunting is Dolini Vestonice in Czech Republic. This site was situated in close proximity to a river, where a number of animals came to drink water. Horses and reindeers were used to come here to drink and cross the river during autumn and spring migrations. Then they were hunted on large scale, by the early humans who were well aware about their movement.

Fishing: Early man also obtained his food by fishing. They caught fish from rivers and ponds with their hands. Later on hooks and harpoons for catching fishes came into use.

Q8.Discuss the progress made by early man in the field of art.
ANSWER:
The early man was much interested in the field of art. He found that art is a unique
method to express his feelings. So, he tried his hands both in paintings and sculptures.

(i) Paintings: In the very beginning, the early man tried to express every thing which impressed him in his daily life. He was much impressed by seeing (observing) natural beauty, i.e. flora and fauna, the sun, the moon, stars, rivers, etc. and also fond of hunting. Hunting was the part of his daily routine. So he painted many pictures depicting the hunting theme. The paintings depicting hunting theme have been envisaged on the wall of the caves and ceiling on the walls. For example, the caves of Altamira, Lascaux, and Chauvet are specially well known. Altamira caves were discovered by Marcelino sanz de Sautuola and his daughter in 1879.

• Lascaux and Chauvet caves came into limelight in 1894. These caves have plenty of beautiful pictures.
• Most of these paintings are of horses, bison’s, mammoths, bears, leopards, owls, etc. Black, red, yellow and white colors have been widely used for engraving these paintings. A number of questions have been put forward regarding the above mentioned paintings.
• Scholars have different opinions in this regard. Some scholars are of the view that they painted these pictures to beautify the walls and ceilings on the caves while others put forward their argument as they did so to pass their knowledge from one generation to another.

(ii) Sculpture: Small-sized statues were built by early man, representing humans and animals. Most of the human statues were of women and recovered from several places in Europe. These female statues are called Venus goddes