Social Science · Class 6
History: Early Societies
Learn History: Early Societies with notes, examples, and practice questions.
4 sections15–25 min read6 MCQs · 2 examples
Chapter Overview
Early societies transitioned from hunting-gathering to farming, forming villages, chiefdoms, and first cities. NCERT explores how archaeology reveals social organisation, beliefs, and livelihoods.
From Hunters to Herders
- Palaeolithic: stone tools, nomadic bands
- Neolithic revolution: domestication of plants and animals
- Pottery, permanent settlements, surplus food
First Cities
- Mesopotamia, Egypt, China, Indus Valley
- Specialisation: priests, craftsmen, rulers
- Writing, trade, and monuments
Social Organisation
- Kinship and clan ties in early villages
- Emergence of inequality with surplus
- Religion and burial practices as historical sources
Solved Examples
Step-by-step solutions — read each step before checking the final answer.
Neolithic change
How did agriculture change human society?
- 1Surplus food supported larger populations
- 2Specialised jobs — potter, weaver, priest
- 3Led to villages and cities
Answer
Enabled settlements, surplus, and specialisation
Archaeology
What do burial sites tell historians?
- 1Grave goods show status and beliefs
- 2Different treatment of bodies suggests inequality
Answer
Social rank and religious ideas
Key Points to Remember
- ✓ Agriculture was a turning point in history
- ✓ Early cities needed organisation and trade
- ✓ Archaeology studies tools, bones, buildings
- ✓ Writing appeared in complex societies
Exam Tips
- • Difference between Palaeolithic and Neolithic
- • Name two early civilizations
- • How do historians use pottery?
Practice MCQs — History: Early Societies
Test your understanding with topic-wise multiple choice questions. Explanations appear after each answer.
Question 1 of 6Score: 0/0
Neolithic age marked by: