Hunter-Gatherers: Lifestyle and Movement

• Tushar was traveling from Delhi to Chennai by train for his cousin's wedding.
• About 2 million years ago, people lived in the subcontinent and are described as hunter-gatherers based on how they obtained food
• Hunter-gatherers generally hunted wild animals, and caught fish and birds
• They gathered fruits, roots, nuts, seeds, leaves, stalks and eggs

Reasons for Movement

• Hunter-gatherers moved from place to place for several reasons
• To find food, they had to move to new locations when the available plant and animal resources were depleted
• Animals move in search of smaller prey or for grass and leaves
• People may have moved according to the seasons to find different kinds of plants
• People, plants, and animals need water, so they would move to find water during dry seasons

How We Know About These People

• Archaeologists have found tools of stone, wood, & bone made and used by hunter-gatherers
• Stone tools survived best
• Stone tools were used to cut meat, bone, scrape bark, chop fruits and roots, and make spears and arrows for hunting
• People used other tools to chop wood for firewood, and also for huts and tools
• Stone tools aided in digging the ground for edible roots and stitching clothes

Choosing a Place to Live In

• Archaeological sites with evidence of hunter-gatherers are marked with red triangles on maps
• These sites were located near sources of water

Rock Paintings

• Early people lived in caves and created paintings on the walls
• Examples from Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh show wild animals, drawn with skill

Sites

• Sites are places where remains of tools, pots, and buildings were found
• These items were made, used, and left behind by people
• Sites can be found on the surface, buried, or underwater

Discovering Fire

• Traces of ash found in the Kurnool caves suggest people were familiar with fire
• Fire could have been used as a source of light, to roast meat, and to scare away animals

Names and Dates

• The earliest period is called the Paleolithic, which extends from 2 million years ago to 12,000 years ago
• The term comes from the Greek words 'palaeo' (old) and 'lithos' (stone)
• The Paleolithic period is divided into the Lower, Middle, and Upper Paleolithic and covers 99% of human history
• The Mesolithic period, marked by environmental changes, lasted from 12,000 to 10,000 years ago
• Stone tools from this period are called microliths
• Microliths were attached to handles of bone or wood to make tools like saws and sickles, while older tool types remained common
• The Neolithic stage began about 10,000 years ago

A Changing Environment

• About 12,000 years ago, major climate changes led to warmer conditions, resulting in grasslands
• The number of deer, antelope, goat, sheep, and cattle increased
• People followed these animals, learned about their habits, and began herding them
• Fishing became another important activity as well

The Beginning of Farming and Herding

• Wheat, barley, and rice began to grow naturally in different parts of the subcontinent
• Men, women, and children gathered grains for food, leading to the development of farming
• People attracted and tamed animals by leaving food near their shelters
• The first animal to be tamed was the wild ancestor of the dog
• People then encouraged gentle animals like sheep, goat, cattle, and pig to come near the camps, protecting them and herding them

Domestication

• Domestication is the process of growing plants and looking after animals
• Domesticated plants and animals differ from wild ones because people select plants and animals that are not prone to disease
• People selected plants with large-size grain and strong stalks, and animals that are gentle, leading to gradual changes
• Domestication began about 12,000 years ago
• Some of the earliest plants and animals to be domesticated were wheat, barley, sheep, and goat

A New Way of Life

• Growing plants requires staying in one place for a long time to look after them until the grain ripens

Storing Food

• Because grain needed storing, people created clay pots, wove baskets, and dug pits

Rearing Animals

• Animals multiply naturally, provide milk, and meat
• Reared animals are a store of food

The First Herders

• Archaeologists found evidence of early farmers and herders marked by blue squares on the map
• Evidence is found all over the subcontinent, including north-west, Kashmir, and east & south India
• Scientists study plants and animal bones from these sites
• Burnt grain remains help identify the crops that were grown
• Scientists can also identify the bones of different animals

Towards a Settled Life

• Archaeologists found huts or houses at some sites such as pit-houses in Burzahom
• Pit-houses dug into the ground with steps suggest shelter in cold weather
• Hearths found inside and outside the huts suggest people could cook indoors or outdoors depending on the weather
• Stone tools from many sites included Neolithic tools.
• Neolithic tools were polished to give a fine cutting edge
• Mortars and pestles used for grinding grain are still used today
• Pots were sometimes decorated and used for storage.
• People began using pots for cooking food, especially grains

Living and Dying in Mehrgarh

• Mehrgarh is located in a fertile plain near the Bolan Pass, an important route into Iran
• It is one of the earliest villages where people grew barley and wheat, and raised sheep and goats
• Bones of wild animals such as deer and pig, and also domesticated animals were found
• Houses were square or rectangular and had four or more compartments for storage
• People generally pay respect by burying their dead
• Burial sites have been found at Mehrgarh, with the dead buried with goats for food in the next world

Explore the lives of early hunter-gatherers in the subcontinent around 2 million years ago. Learn about their hunting, gathering techniques, reasons for seasonal movement, and the tools they used for survival. Discover how archaeologists piece together information about these ancient people.