Early Humans & Beginning of Civilisation: NCERT Solutions (2026)
Welcome to ExamSpark! If you are gearing up for your CBSE Class 9 exams in 2026, building a strong foundation in History is critical—especially if you have your sights set on competitive exams like CUET in the future.
Chapter 4, Early Humans and Beginning of Civilisation, takes us on a fascinating time-travel journey. We explore how early humans evolved from wandering hunter-gatherers to settled farmers, leading to the birth of the world's first great cities. You will learn about the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the rise of river valley civilizations.
Many students struggle with this chapter because it feels heavy with dates, ages, and historical terminology. The transition phases between different Stone Ages often confuse students. Tension mat lo! This guide is built to clear all your funde. These complete NCERT solutions, simplified notes, and board-pattern questions are written in easy, student-friendly language so you can score maximum marks effortlessly.
Quick Answer: What is Chapter 4 Early Humans and Civilisation about?
Chapter 4 explains the evolutionary journey of mankind. It covers the life of early hunter-gatherers in the Paleolithic Age, the transition to farming in the Neolithic Age, the revolutionary discoveries of fire and the wheel, and the establishment of early river valley civilizations like the Indus Valley and Mesopotamia.
Learning Objectives
- Trace the evolution of early humans from nomads to settled city-dwellers.
- Differentiate between the Paleolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic ages.
- Understand the massive impact of the discovery of fire on early human survival.
- Explain why the invention of the wheel is considered a turning point in history.
- Describe the process of domestication of plants and animals.
- Identify the reasons why early civilizations developed exclusively near river valleys.
Key Concepts and Definitions
Main Idea: Human progress shifted from a nomadic lifestyle based on survival to settled, organized societies through agricultural and technological innovations.
- Paleolithic Age (Old Stone Age): Characterized by a nomadic lifestyle, use of crude, unpolished stone tools, and living in caves.
- Mesolithic Age (Middle Stone Age): A transitional phase where humans started making smaller, sharper tools called Microliths.
- Neolithic Age (New Stone Age): The era of the "Agricultural Revolution." Humans became food producers instead of food gatherers.
- Domestication: The process of taming wild animals and cultivating plants for human use. The dog was the first domesticated animal.
- Flint: A hard stone widely used by early humans to make tools and create sparks for fire.
- River Valley Civilisations: Advanced human societies that emerged on the fertile banks of rivers (e.g., Indus, Nile, Tigris-Euphrates).
COMPLETE NCERT SOLUTIONS
Question 1: Fill in the blanks.
(a) Early humans used stones like flint to make tools.
(b) The first animal to be tamed by early humans was the dog.
(c) The Neolithic Age is also known as the New Stone Age.
(d) Early civilizations developed near river valleys.
Question 2: State whether True or False:
(a) Early humans in the Paleolithic age lived in permanent houses. (False - They were nomads living in caves/trees)
(b) The discovery of fire helped early humans keep warm and scare away wild animals. (True)
(c) Agriculture was discovered in the Old Stone Age. (False - It was discovered in the Neolithic Age)
(d) The invention of the wheel made transportation easier. (True)
Question 3: How did early humans obtain their food in the Paleolithic Age?
During the Paleolithic Age, early humans were hunter-gatherers:
- Hunting: They hunted wild animals, caught fish, and trapped birds using crude stone tools.
- Gathering: They gathered wild fruits, roots, nuts, seeds, and leaves from the forests.
They were nomadic, meaning they had to constantly move from one place to another in search of food and water when local resources ran out.
Question 4: What was the significance of the discovery of fire?
The discovery of fire was a major turning point for early humans because:
- Protection: It helped keep dangerous wild animals away from their caves at night.
- Warmth: It protected them from severe cold weather and harsh winters.
- Cooking: They learned to roast meat, which made food softer, tastier, and easier to digest.
- Light: It provided light inside dark caves, allowing them to work after sunset.
Question 5: Why is the Neolithic Age called a 'Revolution'?
The Neolithic Age is called a revolution because it marked a massive, permanent change in how humans lived:
- From Gatherers to Producers: Humans discovered agriculture and started growing crops (like wheat and barley) instead of wandering to find food.
- Settled Life: Because crops took months to grow, humans had to stay in one place, leading to the creation of the first villages.
- Domestication: They started rearing animals like sheep, goats, and cattle for milk, meat, and skin.
Question 6: How did the invention of the wheel help early humans?
The invention of the wheel (during the late Neolithic Age) brought rapid progress:
- Transportation: Carts fitted with wheels made it much easier to travel and transport heavy loads over long distances.
- Pottery: The potter's wheel allowed humans to make better, stronger, and more uniform clay pots at a faster rate to store their surplus grains.
- Spinning: Later, the wheel concept was used for spinning cotton and wool into thread.
Question 7: Why did early civilizations flourish along river valleys? Give three reasons.
The earliest civilizations (like the Indus Valley, Egyptian, and Mesopotamian) developed on river banks due to the following reasons:
- Fertile Soil: Rivers brought mineral-rich silt, making the land extremely fertile and perfect for growing abundant crops.
- Water Supply: The rivers provided a constant supply of fresh water for drinking, daily needs, and irrigation of fields.
- Transportation: Rivers acted as natural highways, making the movement of goods and people easier, which boosted trade.
IMPORTANT MCQs & EXTRA QUESTIONS (2026 PATTERN)
Top MCQs for Section A
1. Microliths are associated with which age?
A) Paleolithic Age B) Mesolithic Age C) Neolithic Age D) Chalcolithic Age
Answer: B. Mesolithic Age. (Tiny, sharp stone tools marking the transition phase).
2. The first metal discovered by humans was:
A) Iron B) Gold C) Copper D) Silver
Answer: C. Copper.
3. The period before written records were invented is called:
A) History B) Prehistory C) Modern Era D) Medieval Era
Answer: B. Prehistory.
4. To store grains, Neolithic humans invented:
A) Plastic bags B) Woven baskets and pottery C) Metal lockers D) Wooden chests
Answer: B. Woven baskets and pottery.
Important Short & Long Answers
Q. Describe the changes in the dwelling (housing) patterns of humans from the Old Stone Age to the New Stone Age.
Answer: In the Old Stone Age (Paleolithic), humans were nomads living in natural caves or under large tree branches. In the Mesolithic age, they started building temporary huts. By the New Stone Age (Neolithic), the discovery of agriculture forced them to settle. They began building permanent houses using mud, baked bricks, thatch, and wood, which eventually formed the first villages.
Q. Discuss the transition from the Bronze Age to the beginning of civilisations.
Answer: The discovery of bronze (mixing copper and tin) led to stronger tools and weapons. Agricultural production skyrocketed, creating a food surplus. This surplus allowed some people to stop farming and become artisans, traders, and rulers. Villages expanded into towns, trade networks grew along rivers, and administrative systems were formed, marking the birth of civilization.
Q. If agriculture had not been discovered, what would be the state of human civilization today? (HOTS)
Answer: Without agriculture, humans would still be nomadic hunter-gatherers. There would be no permanent settlements, cities, trade, or technological advancements like the wheel or writing, as everyone's time would be consumed by simply finding food daily.
CASE-BASED QUESTIONS (4 Marks)
Case Study 1:
Archaeologists dug up a site and found heavily polished stone axes, pieces of baked clay pots, and charred grains of wheat.
Q1. To which stone age does this site belong?
Answer: Neolithic Age.
Q2. Why did people of this age need clay pots?
Answer: To store surplus grains from farming and to cook food over a fire.
Case Study 2:
Early humans realized that a round log of wood rolled down a hill much faster than a square block. They sliced a log and joined the pieces with an axle.
Q1. What invention is being described here?
Answer: The Wheel.
Q2. How did this help in trade?
Answer: It allowed heavy goods to be loaded onto carts and transported easily over long distances, boosting bartering and trade between villages.
ASSERTION & REASONING
1. Assertion (A): The Neolithic age is called a revolution.
Reason (R): Humans transformed from food gatherers to food producers.
Answer: (A) Both true & R explains A.
2. Assertion (A): The discovery of fire was useless.
Reason (R): Early humans ate raw meat.
Answer: (D) A is false but R is true.
COMMON MISTAKES STUDENTS MAKE
- Confusing Mesolithic and Neolithic tools: Mesolithic tools are Microliths (tiny). Neolithic tools are Polished (smooth and sharp).
- Sequence Errors: Forgetting the order. Remember: Paleolithic (Old) → Mesolithic (Middle) → Neolithic (New).
- Agriculture Timelines: Writing that agriculture started in the Paleolithic age. Reality: Paleolithic = Hunting/Gathering. Neolithic = Agriculture.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1. Is Chapter 4 important for Class 9 boards?
Yes, it forms the foundation for understanding how human civilization and economies (like agriculture) began.
Q2. What is the difference between Paleolithic and Neolithic?
Paleolithic humans were nomadic hunters with rough tools; Neolithic humans were settled farmers with polished tools.
Q3. What are microliths?
Tiny, sharp stone tools used during the Mesolithic period, often attached to bone or wooden handles to make spears and arrows.
Q4. Why is the wheel considered a great invention?
It revolutionized transport, making carts possible, and helped in making pottery efficiently via the potter's wheel.